Save Me
by Zenna Wildfire
Summary: After a strange dream, Caleb takes the Ipswich men(now including one Chase Collins) to Walden County, Louisiana. There, they meet Clari and Sia, a Swamp Witch and Cursed Werewolf, respectively. Seeming to have bitten off more than they can chew, with romances and rivalries blooming like magnolias, they must all work together to defeat a powerful Darkness. Chase/OC, Pogue/OC.
1. Prologue - Rituals

-={THE RITUAL}=-

The candles made the underground room warm. Light played delightedly off the stone staircase and surrounding walls of the Gathering Place as Chase Collins descended the stairs, led of course by the golden son himself. Staring at the back of Caleb's head, Chase felt his eyes flame to black. The urge to destroy was so fierce that it nearly crippled him, but the shackles around his Power that Caleb had were strong, and Chase hardly had any wiggle room to slip free.

The moment the murmuring stopped was the moment that Chase acknowledged it. It had been background noise that wasn't important to penetrate the haze of his rage, until it had stopped and he felt the silence drawing his eyes to the people in the room. All four families, and the Heads of each, no less.

"How honored I am," he began, chuckling lowly. "that you have finally felt the need to come welcome me back home!"

"Shut your mouth, boy." The spitting response provoked the rage again, and with black eyes he looks at the head of the Garwin family.

"Why should I? You know, my father would have just loved all of you. It's really a pity he isn't here."

"Knock it off, Chase." Caleb's warning from ahead of him made Chase's lip curl in distaste, and he struggled against the restraints both on his wrists and on his Power.

"Knock it off, Chase," he mocked, and laughed loudly. "Or you'll what?"

"Can we just get this over with? There's no point in stalling anymore, he's in our grasp and we can finish this." Chase's cold black gaze met that of a man who looked like an older version of Tyler, and he scoffed.

"Really? You brought me here to kill me? Am I just ever the burden to you all?" He spat on the floor and then the black flames of his eyes died. He was standing in the center of the room, and he couldn't even remember how he got there. The circular platform was raised, and around him floated a book. As it circled him, like a lion circles its prey, flames shot up and licked the edges of the platform.

Chase's heart began hammering, and he looked up at Caleb, who stood directly in front of him. The slimy feeling of desperation made his skin crawl, and he gritted his teeth. "How terrible, would you burn a fellow Warlock?" His voice was low and dangerous, but even to him it sounded like the growl of a caged animal that was pleading for its life.

Caleb's eyes flamed, and he didn't even crack a smile. "No," he said, and began to circle the platform in the opposite direction of the book's path. "There's a lot you don't know about us, Chase. Unfortunately we can't kill you, it's the number one rule, laid down by all of our ancestors since the beginning of time. To kill another Warlock is to kill thyself."

The chorus of repeated words made Chase turn around, locking eyes with the Head of each family. He could feel a sick dread creeping up his body. It was bone-deep and was racing through his veins faster than lightning. He began to feel like he was drowning, but to combat that he whirled back around to face Caleb.

"Then what, you're going to let me go? A little slap on the wrist and I'll be on my merry way?" He laughed and felt a new weight on his wrists. Looking down, he noted that his handcuffs had turned into chains and shackles, and he was held to the platform.

"No, the Covenant will never make that mistake again." A powerfully deep voice made Chase look up into the eyes of the Parry Head, and he almost visibly shivered. Pogue Parry's father was even more brutish than he was.

"You will stay with us, where we can always keep an eye on you." A softer voice, much wiser, but no less vicious came from his left, and he turned to face the Simms Head again.

"You will be stripped of your Power." One more quarter turn to the left, looking into the judgmental eyes of the Garwin Head.

"What? That's just the same as killing me, though!" He shouted angrily.

"We'll leave just enough to keep you alive, but nothing more." About face, and there was Caleb Danvers.

A low hum had begun in the room, and with a trembling heart Chase looked wildly around the room as he tried his chains. The humming shook his soul, his bones, his entire being, and he felt as if all of the air in the room had suddenly been vacuumed out.

"I, Glenn Simms, hereby strip you of your Power."

"NO!" Chase shouted, pulling at his chains. With a great crack, he felt as if all of the air in his lungs had been removed. His vision blurred, and the enormous pain in his chest caused him to gag.

"I, Joseph Garwin, hereby strip you of your Power."

"Ahhh!" A scream was ripped from his body as his legs gave out, his bones seeming to break, mend, and re-break in a single second. The flames were growing around him, and through them he locked eyes with Caleb. The book flew around him faster and faster, and he watched as his body was being etched onto what appeared to be a blank page.

"I, Wayne Parry, hereby strip you of your Power."

With a crackling, sizzling sound, he felt as though his skin was set ablaze. "STOP IT!" He thundered, screaming and trying to throw his body this way and that, as if to snuff out flames. The burning sensation took so much longer to subside, but when it finally did, he realized that his clothing had literally been burned away. They were on the page, along with his arms and legs and the outline of his body, but no face. He noticed this in the rapid movement of the book circling him, and he felt himself growing faint.

"I," began the last voice, and Chase dropped his eyes.

"Wait," he begged, voice hushed and quivering.

"Caleb Danvers,"

"Caleb, please, it hurts!" He screamed, and looked up into the blackest eyes he could remember seeing aside from his father's. But Caleb's eyes were different. They didn't burn with rage and hate, they burned with sorrow and sadness, and the utmost protection for all that he loved. For a moment, Chase could no longer breathe, and he was being crushed, and burned, all at once.

"Hereby strip you of your Power."

Chase Collins was blind, deaf, and mute to himself. His body sizzled, searched for precious air, and was being buried by invisible weight for what felt like ages, until he finally lost consciousness.

{Seven Years Later}

Caleb shot up in bed covered in sweat. His heart was pounding and his head felt like a boulder was crushing it, but he couldn't shake the memory of the nightmare. He ran his hands through his black hair and twisted to see Sarah's still sleeping form. Her blonde hair puddled behind her as she slept, the vision of innocence and beauty.

He crept from the bed almost guiltily, grabbing his cell phone as he trotted through the house and down the stairs to the basement. His fingers dialed the number as fast as they could, and he waited for two rings until the receiver picked up.

"Caleb?" the sleepy voice of Pogue Parry picked up, stifling a yawn.

"Get over here."

"Wha-"

"Just get the hell over here. I had a vision. A freaking vision."

"Seriously?"

"Call Reid and Tyler. See you in an hour." Caleb hung up the phone as his friend was protesting. Sighing, he dialed a new number.

After two rings, the receiver picked up.

"Caleb Danvers, to what do I owe this shitty honor?" The snarky tone made Caleb clench his teeth together, and he rubbed his eyes as he paced in the basement.

"Chase," Caleb growled, and he snapped his fingers, bringing the candles around the basement to life. "The Covenant summons."

Snapping his phone shut, unable to say anything else, he faced the stone walls glimmering with candlelight, and waited for the guys to join him.

An hour later showed four familiar faces coming down the stairs of the Danvers basement. Caleb had dressed in sweats and a t-shirt, and the other Sons were dressed similarly. Tyler even had on slippers, and Caleb arched his eyebrow in question. The youngest Son simply smiled and shrugged as he took his seat. Caleb looked at each set of eyes in turn before licking his lips and looking at his feet.

"Tonight I had a vision," he began, and he heard three intakes of breath as Chase, Reid, and Tyler grasped the information. "It came in the form of a nightmare, where an apparition of my father was telling me of an unfortunate event."

"What sort of event?" Reid asked, and Caleb glanced up at his friend.

"I wasn't in Ipswich anymore. I flew over swamplands and farms to a sign that read "Walden County, Louisiana", and that's where the apparition met me. He told me that something terrible was going to happen, and that I needed to go to this place in order to stop it. If I didn't stop it, then once the darkness got to where I was, I and all I love would suffer immeasurable pain." He drew in a breath and looked at each face.

Silence came from his companions, the only noise in the basement being the sound of flickering candles and soft, unbelieving breathing.

"What do we do?" Pogue asked, running a hand through his long sandy hair. He crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned back in his chair.

"I mean, we can't just leave." Reid interjected, looking at each face.

"We may not have a choice!" Tyler said firmly.

"Please, there's always a choice," Chase said boredly, leaned back in his chair.

"We have to go." Caleb said, looking at the other Sons of Ipswich. "This could get to us here, all the way from across the country. Whatever's coming, we have to stop it."

Chase scoffed as the others nodded, and he cracked his neck. Caleb narrowed his eyes as he watched the other man smile, and he stood up.

"It's almost dawn. We leave tomorrow, so make sure you're ready. We'll take two cars, so we can all fit."

"We only need one car, Caleb." Tyler said, eyebrows furrowed together in confusion.

"No, we need two. Chase is also coming." Caleb headed towards the stone stairs as the others looked at him.

"What?" The venom in Chase's voice was dripping through the room, and he stood as Caleb walked away. "No, I'm not! Why?"

"Because I said so, that's why." Caleb said and shrugged. He was the Head of the Danvers family, and his voice meant more than any of the ones coming from the basement.

As he shut the door, he knew the others would see themselves out. After all, they had a lot of preparing left to do, and sleep to catch up on. Sarah was still asleep as he climbed back into the sheets, and her body was warm and comforting. Taking his wife into his arms, he fell asleep.

"Caleb, please be careful." Sarah's voice found his ears as he stood in front of the Danvers mansion saying goodbye. Her eyes were tearful, and she was wrapped in his favorite robe as they stood in the chilly spring morning.

"I will, sweetheart." He smiled and touched her cheek, kissing her forehead gently. "I'll be back before you know it! It'll be like I never left!" With a parting smile, he turned towards his car, where a brooding Chase sat with sunglasses on his face in the passenger seat. Pogue was mounting his motorcycle, stretching his shoulders as Tyler and Reid idled behind his car in Tyler's Hummer. Tyler decided that he just couldn't leave the beast of a vehicle behind.

He sighed as he opened the door, and turned with a fake smile to wave goodbye to Sarah. She waved hesitantly as he shut the door and drove down the driveway towards whatever darkness awaited them.

* * *

-={THE RITUAL}=-

Bodies littered the floor in front of her, the cement of the warehouse stained red with blood. Clari's eyes could hardly focus on one thing at a time. The beast was a whirlwind of violence, all teeth and claws and fur. The brown-black blur didn't slow down as it devoured its victims, souls and all. The carnage was too much, and Clari retched beside her chair where she had strapped herself down. It was too much, she had to leave, but that would mean breaking the circle and the spell, and then her best friend really would become a beast.

The last victim's screaming had stopped, and Clari finally registered how sluggish she felt. Like she was being drained of all of her energy in seconds, and he head fell forward as she heard nails clicking against the cement. Her green eyes looked up to a pair of bright gold, ravenous eyes, shrouded in a shadow of darkness.

"Sia," she whispered, head falling forward. The beast seemed to not care.

"Sienna," she tried again, and remembered the second circle within the circle. A chicken bone was out of place, and she the reserves of her energy to try to move it back into place with her toe. She had to, it would give her new strength, maybe even enough to survive the ritual.

The beast had faltered at the sound of its human name, and there was an angry snarl. Clari looked up as the werewolf shook her head and roared. Looking down, she tried again to align the chicken bone. The snarls were closer, but she couldn't really see details anymore, just colored blobs.

There was the sudden draining of pressure in the air, and she knew the werewolf had leaped to attack her, but she gave a final kick and the bone fell into perfect alignment.

"Sienna!" Clari screamed, and braced herself for impact. Instead, the werewolf's paw landed in the second circle, like she had hoped. It held the beast there, and it thrashed, having its energy drained and placed into Clari's body. It only took a moment, but that was all that was needed. With the werewolf's energy drained and Clari's retored, she began the incantation.

Enunciating the words, she called to the skies, using her dagger to cut herself free, and she swayed and danced, calling to the spirits for the soul of her best friend. Images frolicked in the air around them, and the werewolf roared angrily as the apparition appeared. A dark featured, tan skinned woman stared at Clari, and she used two turkey feathers to wave the apparition towards the werewolf.

The beast let out frantic roars until it practically screamed as it thrashed. Clari was slashed across the abdomen, but she didn't falter. Her blood was needed anyways, and as the apparition was sucked into the werewolf's body akin to dirt into a vacuum, Clari threw herself on the beast.

The thrashing became terribly violent for what seemed like hours, but she needed to stay on to seal with soul within the body. Finally, the body stilled, and fur fell away to reveal skin. Clari lost consciousness to the sight of very human, very scared, dark brown eyes.

{Seven Years Later}

Sia awoke with a start, her dark eyes flashing quickly around the room. Something wasn't right, and the presence of the dream still lingered on the edge of her vision. Darkness was coming, the same kind she had felt when she had been transformed. Snarling, her eyes flashing gold, she jumped out of bed and ran to her desk, searching out her special sketchpad and a pencil.

She drew quickly, recalling every detail without having to think about it. She knew that should she focus too hard, it would contort on itself, so she remained mechanical until she finally felt her hands stop itching, and looked down. Odd. She would need the other half in order to decipher it. With a flick of her wrist her nightgown flew off and she had opened the window in one motion.

In a single fluid motion, fur grew and bones twisted and reformed under skin that stretched and toughened. The fear that used to coat her tongue no longer had a taste, and instead there was the relishing feeling of freedom. She was speed, darkness, and fury all rolled into a package of fur and claws and teeth. Turning, her now gold eyes fell on the sketch pad, which she gingerly picked up by the binding before jumping out of the window and taking off into the forest.

Her nose led her through the trees and swamps, and finally up through the field of sleepy cows startled by her presence. Sia huffed and grumbled as she trotted past, the scent of the protective sachets they wore around their necks warding her away. The garden gate was left open, like usual, and she trotted between the lima beans and tomatoes to the back window of the house. Inside was her prey.

Clari lay in bed, legs up and using them as a table to sketch on, and when Sia's head and ears blocked out the moonlight, she looked up with her witch-grey eyes.

"It's open." She said, throwing a nightgown out the window and finishing up as Sia phased back and got dressed.

Hopping through the bedroom window, Sia wiped off her sketchpad and sat down on Clari's bed. "This hasn't happened in a while." She commented offhandedly, and shook out her long black hair.

"Yeah." Clari was distracted, Sia could hear it in her voice. Her brown eyes narrowed as she glanced at the picture. "Let's see what we got this time." The sleepy drawl from the swamp witch made Sia sigh and she opened to the last drawn page.

It took a few tries, but finally the black and white sketches began to make sense. Sia's sketch was on top, and Clari's fit perfectly on the bottom. It was the image of a forest path, trees haloing the edges of the paper, in the full bloom of summer. A path wound through the trees, and on it, five dark silhouettes. They were all stocky and dark black, as if they'd sketched them with ink and not graphite. The pages were so black that Sia began to grow hungry, and she gulped and glanced away to compose herself. This darkness felt disturbingly familiar.

"Who do you think they are?" Clari asked, tilting her head slightly.

"I don't know, but they give me a bad feeling." She looked back into Clari's eyes, fading from witch-grey to spring green, and bit her cheek.

"The feeling is really familiar," she admitted, and narrowed her eyes.

"Maybe too familiar," Sia said, a slight growl in her voice as she lifted the edge of one lip. Clari didn't respond as she got up and paced around the room, her eyes itching and her nose twitching as she fought off the urge to phase and hunt down anything alive.

"Easy now," Clari said, "maybe this isn't at all like that. It could be completely different."

"Please." Sia said, stopping her pacing and turning around. "I can practically smell the burnt hair all the way from here and this hasn't even happened yet!"

"Okay, let's not get excited," pale hands flew up in a defensive position as Sia stripped off the nightgown and bounded towards the window.

"Shit," she murmured as the ripping of muscle and the itching noise of fur exploding out of follicles erupted just beyond the window. "Sia!" She called, looking out the window. To her relief, the sachets worked on the cows at least. The frightened heifers bellowed and trotted out of the way of the enraged wolf, who tore off into the bayou to hunt.

"Some vision this turned out to be." Clari mumbled, kicking the notepads under the bed and plopping angrily back into bed. "I got a hothead of a werewolf and now five strangers rollin' up whenever they please. Why do we never have visions of hot guys trying to be chivalrous and protective of us?" She huffed as she pulled up the covers, listening to the chickens calling wildly. "She better be back in the morning."


	2. Housewives and Hellions

**Housewives and Hellions**

Sia grumbled as she narrowed her golden eyes. It was dawn, and the sun was already too bright. She flicked an ear and tilted her head to the west, away from the blinding light and back towards home. She should be getting back, or else Clari was going to be angry. She could practically smell the spicy scent of anger from here, and she was a few miles outside of town – the other side of town, as far away as she could be from the farm but still in her territory.

She snapped her jaws and stood, shaking her dark fur out. The deer carcass had been totally devoured, but it didn't satisfy like it should have. The dark feeling was still crawling through her fur, like fleas or ticks, large ones that had prickly fingers that sent goosepumps along her skin. She growled and shook once more before trotting through the trees, her black ears flicking back and forth. She was in the state park, and dangerously close to campers. It was best to stay alert.

The forest grew louder as the sun continued to rise, and she finally picked her way around the edges of swampland and forest back to the western side of town, and closer to the farm. Clari must be upset with her, because she could already smell waffles. Whenever she was upset, she'd cook, and Sia knew that waffles meant she'd stayed out longer than she should.

With one ear back, she finally broke the treeline and trotted through the cow pasture. The heifers were angry with her from last night, and they stamped as she walked by, tossing their noses and rolling back their eyes.

 _Yeah, yeah. Keep it up and you'll be next,_ she thought to the beasts as she passed, showing her fangs. Those satchels smelled awful, though, and she flicked her tail as the cows herded themselves farther away and she passed through the garden gate. The vegetables were almost ready, the summer being fair this year and surprisingly not as hot. She phased back, stretching her arms as she found a folded nightgown and underwear on the front porch. She grimaced, her eyes turning dark brown as she snatched them up. Clari was so not happy.

She stepped through the door, the clothes tossed over her shoulder and her long black hair swinging, to the smell and sounds of someone cooking breakfast. Her mouth watered as she inhaled, and she cracked her fingers as she walked naked through the living room and into the kitchen.

"Morn- hey!" Sia began, and then backpedaled as a pan was thrown at her. Fuck. Abort mission. Not only was Clari awake, but so was her aunt, Miss Katherine. The older Swamp Witch was furious, and Sia caught a pot mid-flight as she was glared down. "Knock it off! I didn't get any cows!"

"No, but you scared them! If my milk turns out bad because of you I'll have your miserable hide!" Miss Katherine said, grabbing another saucepan and shaking it. "And put some clothes on! You weren't raised in fur so quit acting like it!" The older woman shook her head, crossing her arms before grabbing her coffee mug and retiring to the den. With a flick of her wrist, the door slammed shut behind her, and Sia was left with Clari.

Sighing, she donned the panties and bra and sat down at the island, pursing her lips and raising one eyebrow. She examined her long nails as she waited a few moments. The silence was terrible to her sensitive ears, it seemed like even the wind had stopped at this exact moment.

"Where were you?" The question was rough and full of anger, but the scent of relief hung in the air, a weird minty after-smell.

"Hunting." Sia replied, glancing up at her friend as she checked the points on her nails.

"Bullshit. You take an hour max to hunt." Clari replied, shaking a wooden spoon at her. She didn't know why, but the Willows women always brandished strange things when interrogating people.

"So I took a little longer this time. It was a big deer."

"We don't get big deer around here."

The statement was devoid of emotion, and Sia felt her left ear twitch. "I was re-marking the borders, I have to keep anything out that might threaten my territory." She snorted as she picking a piece of meat out of her teeth and examined the fleshy bit before throwing it away.

"Seriously, Sienna this thing might not be something that's gonna listen to olfactory signals in regards to what you protect."

"Oh trust me, it will."

Clari stopped and Sia felt her nose twitch in amusement as she sat there, making sure that no nails had chipped in her expedition last night.

"What did you do?" The question was slow, and Sia glanced up and smiled a toothy grin.

"Oh, nothing."

"Sienna Townsend, what did you do?!" Again she picked up the wooden spoon, and Sia sighed. She would have loved to keep her friend going, but she really didn't feel like catching any more kitchen items.

"I didn't do anything much. I just put out a few warning signs is all."

"What warning signs?"

"The usual."

"What the hell are the usual signs?" Clari stomped her foot and crossed her arms. Sia thought it was adorable, and she smiled.

"Nothing special. Scratches on trees, dug a few holes here and there, peed on some trees… Blood runes, carcasses… By the way you're gonna burn those waffles."

Clari opened her mouth to protest before sniffing the air. "Shit," she whirled around and opened the waffler maker, taking out the food and leaning against the counter.

"Sia, you have to be careful. If anyone caught wind of anything unusual going on, who knows who might show up." The witch said quietly, tapping a finger against the counter. "What if there's an actual werewolf hunter out there and he finds out there might be a werewolf in Walden County, huh? What's gonna happen if you're just another fang on a necklace?"

Had Sia been a wolf, her ears would have drooped. She looked at the table and took a few breaths. "That won't happen. I was careful. The runes are under rocks and logs, and the carcasses are by rivers. Besides, werewolves haven't existed on this continent before, Miss Katherine said so."

"What if someone had seen you, though?"

"No one saw me, geez. I kept to the shadows, my fur is just about black, I was fine." She was losing her patience now, and she balled up her fists and looked at the wall, eyes narrowed.

"Don't get uppity with me," Clari warned, and then sighed and plated some food. "Eat."

Sia narrowed her eyes as Clari pushed her a plate full to the brim, and she eyed the food for a moment. It wasn't like she wasn't hungry, she was always hungry, but Clari must have really been worried to have cooked so much food, including bacon. Clari didn't like bacon at all, and rarely cooked. Sia usually had to fry it up herself.

"Hey," she said softly, and Clari glanced up from across the table. "I'm sorry." Her friend narrowed her green eyes and Sia sighed. "I know I'm impulsive and hard to handle, but it's because I'm protective."

Clari chewed her cheek before answering, looking at her food – upsettingly devoid of bacon, Sia thought – before nodding. "I know."

Sia was pleased, and by being pleased she could now eat. "Thanks for breakfast by the way. You're a good little housewife."

"Excuse me?!"

Sia laughed as Clari raged, happily chewing on her bacon.

* * *

The rest of the day was like any other to Clari. After breakfast, she and Sia had watched a movie, and then Sia tended to the garden while she herself saw to the cows. They'd learned early on that Sia couldn't get near the cows, even with the satchets. The animals just flipped out, one cow even fainted, and Clari or her aunt had never seen that before. She smiled as she patted their soft necks, whistling to them as she led the lead heifer towards the barn. At feeding time, they kept them secluded, just in case a coyote got a wild hair up its ass.

The smell of hay, feed, and drying herbs and vegetables filled her nose as she opened the barn doors, standing aside for the cows to file in. The one good thing about Sia being turned was that the cows went into the barn much more willingly than before. As the Holsteins filed past her she patted each one, and they snorted a greeting to her as they passed and found their stall. The wood barn was surprisingly massive, and she closed the doors as the last heifer trotted inside and made her way up to the loft.

The stores of food were up here, but instead of making to go to them, Clari sat down in a rocking chair. Her aunt had finally entrusted her with the knowledge of how to feed the cows using only her mind to move the feed to the stalls, and she crossed her legs and relaxed as she set to an even rhythmic rocking.

She hummed lowly to herself, closing her eyes and envisioning the process that she wanted to carry out, making sure to go to the smallest detail. Once she had the cycle down several times, she opened up her mind to the world around her. Thanks to her connection to Sia, she could now pick up on scents and vibrations she hadn't once been able to connect to. Each cow had a specific vibration about them, their own aura and scent, which varied from bloodline to individual. She held out a hand as she heard the feed bags open and a scoop filling itself gently.

Smiling, she set about measuring the right amounts of grain and supplements per cow, locating their vibrations through the feed shoots that led to their troughs and letting the meal flow gently down. She could feel her arms getting tired, and she ticked off the cows she'd fed already before making sure every aura around her was buzzing with happy thoughts, and the only sounds she heard was the crunching of cud.

Satisfied, she replaced all of the feed bags and slowly disconnected herself from each cow, finally finding herself isolated in the hay loft facing the bags of grain. Sighing, she wiped her brow and pulled her hair into a ponytail.

It always got somewhat exhausting when she did this after a hard night, especially one that had left her with a vision. She rocked for a few more minutes before she stood up and stretched her legs, her cowboy boots rocking back on the floor as her arms rose over her head. The day had gotten hot already, and she looked out of the loft window in order to see where everyone else was.

Her Aunt Katherine was talking to Sia, civilly this time. _She must need another deer for the freezer._ She watched, leaning against the window as Sia sighed and looked down and Katherine chuckled, patting the girl's black hair before sending her off. _Ooh. Not deer, gator._

Clari watched as Sia shifted, furrowing her brow at the process. It was always so strange to watch it happen, no matter how easily her best friend could switch between forms now. It always started with Sia grimacing slightly, and she would watch as several things happened at once. Sienna seemed to grow and mutate all in the same span of seconds. She could hear the grisly crunching and grinding of bone from here, and she squinted. Her tail sprouted at this point in the process, when she looked more wolf then human and would revert to all fours, and then she'd give her body a shake usually and fur would ripple over her skin, coming forth all at once like a shadow that had always been present but it had been too bright to notice it at first.

The fur was always so shiny and dark. Clari loved to brush Sia when she was a wolf, and the fur was silky and shone under the sun from her healthy appetite and diet. It was black on her legs and face, and along her spine to her tail tip. Everywhere else, though, was a dark brown color, a little redder than the color of fertile soil after it rains. Along her sides and under her tail, as well as where her brow spots were and under her eyes, was a lighter tan color, like the color of clay. The breaking up of the black made for excellent camouflage Clari guessed, and she wondered if all werewolves would be that color, or maybe if it went by something else.

She shivered at the thought, though, remembering the ravenous, angry beast Sienna had once been, back when she'd first been turned. She remembered the blood…

Clari stumbled slightly, feeling herself go faint at the thought, and looked out to see the shadowy wolf looking up at her keenly. Sia had piercing golden eyes when she was a wolf, a shade unlike any Clari had ever seen, and she waved slightly before the wolf nodded and turned to trot across the pasture, sticking to the fenceline. Not like it mattered, that fence was about four feet high and Sia's shoulders were about five feet high.

Shaking her head, Clari climbed down from the hayloft and exited the barn. The cows could stay inside a little longer, and she pulled the barn doors shut and locked it.

"You look exhausted, kid." Katherine said and CLari turned to look at her aunt.

"Yeah, I feel exhausted." She said, putting her hands on her hips and looking out at the treeline. Sia had long ago disappeared.

"Night of visions?" Katherine asked as the two began to walk back to the house together.

Clari nodded. "Yeah, a strange one too." She began, scuffing her boot in the gravel path that led to the back porch. "Sia and I shared it, and it just felt so dark," she paused, her green eyes narrowing at the dirt underfoot. "It was the same darkness I felt when Sia was cursed."

Katherine wrapped her arm around Clari's shoulders, drawing her close. "I felt it too. But I don't think this darkness if quite the same. What was the vision?"

"Well, when we joined our sketches, it looked like five figures walking through the forest. That one trail in the state park with all the azaleas lining the path. But the figures were pitch black, even though the light around them was haloing them."

Katherine nodded, pursing her lips as she listened. "Well, I think that might be a sign at least. Maybe the light around them signifies that they're not as bad as we think."

Clari nodded, keeping her eyes down. Honestly she was just scared of losing her best friend again. She couldn't imagine how it would feel if these figures came and took her friend away for good this time.

Katherine, seeming to understand what Clari was thinking, squeezed her niece's shoulder and smiled. "Come on, I just made some lemonade, and you look thirsty. I sent Sia to get us some gator for tomorrow night for gumbo, so tonight we'll have a chicken." A chicken meant they'd share a small hen, and Sia would have one to herself, of course.

Clari smiled and hugged her aunt. "Okay," she said and checked the treeline one more time before they both filed into the cottage.

* * *

Chase hated long car rides. He hated them even more right now, since he was stuck in a car with Caleb Danvers. He had his shades on, feigning sleep as Caleb drove silently. The man wouldn't even put on the radio, and so Chase was left with little options other than letting his mind wander.

He had put his feet up on the dash, leaning his seat back, and he'd been like this for a few hours now he guessed, unmoving. Now, though, the silence felt like it was going to drive him mad. The sun was up too high for him to be able to doze anymore, and he shifted slightly, lifting up his shades as he looked at the road.

"Where are we?" He asked, glancing at Caleb.

"Northern Virginia." Caleb said briskly.

"Northern Virginia?!" _I've been asleep longer than I thought_ , he thought to himself, looking out at the road before them. The mountains were taking them up and down on a natural rollercoaster and he sighed, furrowing his brow. "So how long has it been?"

"About nine hours, I'd say."

 _Well shit,_ Chase thought, adjusting his feet on the dash and pinching the bridge of his nose.

"I plan on us making at least another 9 hours, too. Hopefully we can get most of the way there before we book a hotel."

"Well can we at least stop and get something to eat?"

"We did."

"What the fuck?" Chase said and sat up. "You could have woken me up, I'm starving! What the hell am I supposed to eat?"

Caleb chuckled and produced a bag of McDonald's from the back seat. "Calm down, Princess, we got you food. And some burgers for the ride too." Chase was almost flattered that even though they hadn't woken him the fuck up, they had at least thought to get him food.

Chase took the bag and grumbled lowly, looking through it. At least Caleb had had the decency to heat the food up for him, and he unwrapped a burger and took a huge bite of it.

"So you said another nine hours on the road. Where will we be stopping?"

"Birmingham, Alabama. I'm sure we can find a cheap hotel to put us up for the night. Then we'll finish the trip tomorrow." Caleb always answered so matter-of-factly, and it set Chase's teeth on edge even with a mouth full of artificial burger.

Shrugging he nodded, wadding up the used paper and grabbing another burger and the paper bag of fries. As he ate he thought, wondering what this Walden County would be like.

Deciding to speak on the matter, he swallowed his last bite and stowed the bag away before leaning back. "So, what's this Walden County like?" He asked.

"I had Reid do some research while Tyler drove, and he said that Walden County sits practically inside of a national park. Kisatchie National Park, I think he said. He said the town is very old, lots of Victorian appeal and mixes of creole and voodoo and stuff like that." Caleb said, and shrugged his shoulders. "The crime rate is super low, the only thing going on is usually small time drug deals and alcoholism. Seems pretty tame."

Chase snorted lightly. "Yeah, weird. I wonder why trouble would break out there, though." He wondered aloud, chomping on a fry.

"Probably because of the isolation. You should know that evil things like to stay hidden until they have enough power.

Chase stopped chewing. _Low blow, dude._ "What do you think we'll find there anyways?" he asked after a few more bites of burger, deciding to change the subject.

Caleb was silent for a moment, staring out at the road ahead. Chase could tell the question bugged him though, his knuckles were almost bone white on the steering wheel. Looking ahead as well, Chase finished his second burger and began working on the fries before Caleb deigned to respond.

"I'm not sure. Another Warlock probably. But this feels so much darker then when it was just you. He has to have others working for him. Something." Caleb's voice was low and distracted, and Chase glanced towards him as he chose another fry.

Silence thickened the air, and Chase sighed, stretching. "Well, at least we know nothing can best us hellions." He chuckled, hands behind his head.

"Yeah, us hellions, Chase. That hardly includes you." Caleb spoke quickly and with a level voice, without looking in the other man's direction.

Chase clenched his jaw, and on his way to reach for another bag of fries, he stopped short. Closing his eyes, he slapped the bag away from him and put his feet up on the dash. If that was how he was going to be treated still, then he'd just stop talking for the rest of the trip. He looked out the window, and didn't glance back at Caleb for the nine hours more.

* * *

"Caleb, come on, that's pretty low." Tyler sighed as he walked around the hotel room, but Caleb only shrugged.

"Was it? I mean, seven years ago he tried to kill all of us to get revenge. I don't think he's quite earned the right to be called 'friend' yet, do you?" Caleb looked up. He knew Tyler'd never step up to bat with him. Pogue hated the guy ever since Kate left him, and Reid, well –

"Yes. He's saved our asses multiple times, Caleb. What about when we couldn't find out what was causing Sarah's sickness, huh? She could have died. If he hadn't shown up in the middle of the night to help you, you wouldn't be married right now."

Fucking hell.

"That was in a medical textbook, Reid, something anybody could look up." Pogue racked a hand through his hair and sat back, rubbing down his motorcycle helmet. His eyes shot up at the blond man, who glared back.

"A medical textbook that was from the 19th century, Pogue. That not even campus doctors could figure out because it just doesn't happen nowadays." Reid shot back, standing up.

Tyler jumped in between them as Pogue tossed his helmet onto Caleb's bed, and held his hands up. "Whoa guys, this is ridiculous, let's settle dow—"

"Pogue. Reid." Caleb sat up, pointed a hand at both, and the Power wrapped around their fists and held them in place. They struggled and looked at Caleb, and Tyler backed away. "Knock it off. We're out of our element, we can't afford to be like this. Tyler, Reid, get out of here we need to get some sleep. We could all use a cooldown."

Released now, Pogue and Reid's fists dropped like lead. For a moment, Tyler and Caleb though they'd square off again before they both turned away. Patting Tyler's shoulder, Reid walked away, while Pogue flopped onto his bed, crossing his arms over his chest. The shutting of the door was deafening in the still air of the hotel room.

After a few moments, Caleb turned to look at his friend. "Get some sleep. Hopefully soon they'll see. They're just young."

"They're already ascended, Caleb. They're grown just like we are. I promise you guys didn't fish all the Power enough out of his blood. I bet he's got them blinded to something."

"Well, he's got enough out to not overthrow any of the Elders, and that's what matters."

Pogue grumbled a response as he stripped off his shirt and clicked off the light, leaving both of them in the dark.

* * *

"I can't believe he'd say something like that!" Reid said, throwing his wallet and beanie down onto his bed, pacing at the front of the room.

"Well, I mean can you blame them really? Chase made their lives a living hell. He put Sarah and Kate in danger." Tyler responded, lounging on his bed.

"Yeah, and then a year after we found him again he saved her life. No one else could figure out what was wrong with her, and the spells were just making her worse. I know that, you know that, they know that." Reid refuted.

"Yeah, well he did make Kate break up with Pogue. You know he hasn't dated anybody in six years."

"That's his fault he has blue balls, then, not Chase's. Kate and Pogue still had problems way before Chase showed up anyways." Reid sat down heavily on his bed, head in his hands. "I mean, between her and Aaron having dated before, I don't think the chemistry ever left."

"Pogue would kill you if you said that." Tyler said quietly.

"I know." Reid agreed, laying back. "Chase still doesn't deserve to be treated like that, though. I know he was bad before, just let me talk. I mean, he saved Sarah. He knew how to defeat that wraith last year on All Hallows', and the year before that he could tell when you got the Power Sickness and we were able to stop you from going over the edge. I think he's proved himself enough to prove it that he's changed. At least enough not to turn on us or wish us any grief anymore."

Tyler bit the inside of his cheek in thought. "That's a good point. I mean, what if it was like he was just upset that he couldn't be a part of us for most of his life, and now he feels included so he's trying to make it up to us?"

Reid nodded, tossing a hacky sack into the air. "Yeah. I mean, that's almost like he said when him and Caleb faced off the first time, about how he was sore about not growing up and knowing what the fuck was going on with him all his life. That must have been rough."

Tyler nodded. "Yeah, kinda. What if he feels included now, and that's why he's kind of eased up on the whole thing?"

Reid nodded. "I think that may be what it is. I mean, I can't think of any reason why he'd have gone out of his way to do all of these things. He doesn't even have his Power anymore."

"Yeah." Tyler nodded again, eyes closed. "It's getting late, we should probably call it a night. According to Caleb, we still have a bit of a way to go."

Reid nodded and yawned. "Yeah, we should. Still think he's becoming a pretty good guy, though."

"Yeah, well he has me to learn from. I'm the only one with any sort of conscience around here." Tyler laughed, turning off his light.

"Sure you are, Baby Boy." Reid laughed, throwing a pillow at him before turning his own lamp off.

Chase was quiet in his room, trying to find his solitude in a building that had very, very thin walls. Not only were the walls thin, but his room was sandwiched in between Pogue and Caleb's and Reid and Tyler's. Unfortunately, the two pairs were anything but quiet.

After a bout of yelling in Caleb and Pogue's room, and the slamming of two sets of doors, he was about to get up and yell at both parties to shut up when the neighbor across the hall did it for him.

After a few angrily exchanged words from Reid, and the slamming of two doors again, Chase finally thought he could get some rest, forget the day's horrible events. He guessed that wouldn't happen though, because now Reid and Tyler were talking.

Chase tried to block it out at first, but even two pillows over his head he could hear every word. _Great,_ he thought to himself, snarling against the pillowcase, _I can't even do anything right even though I've helped them more times than –_

"Chase still doesn't deserve to be treated like that, though. I know he was bad before, just let me talk. I mean, he saved Sarah. He knew how to defeat that wraith last year on All Hallows', and the year before that he could tell when you got the Power Sickness and we were able to stop you from going over the edge. I think he's proved himself enough to prove it that he's changed. At least enough not to turn on us or wish us any grief anymore."

 _What?_

Chase sat up in bed, clutching the pillows in his lap, brow furrowed. Were they really siding with him?

"That's a good point. I mean, what if it was like he was just upset that he couldn't be a part of us for most of his life, and now he feels included so he's trying to make it up to us?"

"Yeah. I mean, that's almost like he said when him and Caleb faced off the first time, about how he was sore about not growing up and knowing what the fuck was going on with him all his life. That must have been rough."

Chase could feel his throat tightening up involuntarily, and he stifled a cough, hoping they hadn't heard. He couldn't believe that they'd actually take his side of things, especially when the opposition was Pogue and Caleb. He blinked a few times, staring at the wall in front of him, towards Reid and Tyler's room.

The only thing that bothers him was how could they possibly just get it? Right off the bat? I mean, when he thought about it he supposed feeling that way wouldn't be entirely rocket science to put together, but still. Reid wasn't known for his smarts, and even little boy Tyler had gotten some poor marks sometimes. What was different now?

"Yeah, we should. Still think he's becoming a pretty good guy, though."

"Yeah, well he has me to learn from. I'm the only one with any sort of conscience around here."

"Sure you are, Baby Boy."

Reid's chuckle could even be heard through the wall, and Chase sat there a moment longer, until the silence became deafening. Slowly, he lowered himself back down to the mattress, and stared at the ceiling. He knew what it was like to have friends, but even they went away when he started to show signs of the Power. Now, for some reason, he felt like he finally had them again, without the Power condition. Slowly, gradually, he was able to drift off to sleep, wondering what prospect this could bring, and for once, not just for his own gain.


	3. Old Habits and New Visions

**AN;** Hey everyone! I wanted to put out the Prologue and first chapter and see what I thought, and I think that this story deserves to be continued. Honestly, I wasn't expecting this kind of reception, so I'm very pleased, and it looks like you all are too!

I'm Zenna, and this is the story of Clari and Sia, two best friends who happen to be, respectively, a Swamp Witch and a Cursed Werewolf. In this story, not only will they confront the Darkness, but they'll find love and friendship among unlikely allies.

I plan on having at least a chapter every two-to-three weeks, since I do have work and school which will unfortunately take up some of my time. However, this story has almost all been outlined and planned out so it should be pretty nice to finally get it to paper! Drop a review or PM me if you have any questions! I'd also love to hear where YOU think this story is going to go, and what twists you think will be along the way. ;)

* * *

Chapter Two

 **Old Habits and New Visions**

The night was muggy and hot, and this time, Clari wholeheartedly agreed that the fan should be on high tonight. Sia had the box fan as high as it could go, and she lay in front of it with a nightgown and her dark hair tied into a top knot. She wasn't alone, even if Clari was a tad more dressed than she was.

The swamp witch looked out to the pasture, counting the cows as the moon rose. The day had been trying for them both. Sia had to go clear to the other side of the park in order to find a good enough gator, and Clari had spent the day slaughtering and plucking not one, but two chickens for dinner. There were times when having a werewolf best friend was more of a curse than the actual werewolf part, she thought. Damn that girl could eat.

"Stay out of my almond cookies!" She cautioned, not even bothering to turn around when she heard the crinkling of wax paper.

"I'm hungry!" Sia complained, and the witch cracked a smile.

"Girl, you just ate."

"Psh, you know that don't matter!" Sia grumbled, flopping onto the floor. She clutched her stomach and sighed, chin against the hardwood. "An hour without food feels like a whole day to me. What I wouldn't give for that gumbo to be cookin' in the pot by now!"

Clari had to agree, she could already smell the scents from memory, of herbs and steaming rice and vegetables, and the delicious scent of well-cooked gator meat and how you had to add it to the pot at just the right moment, with just the right amount of hot sauce, to get the most perfect flavor ever. She gulped and turned around. "Well, it's not, so knock it off and eat some crackers or something before you make me hungry too."

"What's eatin' you?" Sia asked, and scooted up onto her knees, hands on her hips.

Clari sighed. "Nothing, I just feel weird. Like sick weird. Vision weird. I don't know, I just feel weird!"

Sia chuckled. "You need a good romp."

"That is _not_ the problem, Sienna." Clari laughed, looking at her best friend and shaking her head. "You know nobody in this town would ever get close to us like that."

Sia shrugged. "Bunch of prisspots anyways, the lot of them. Stuck up, try-to-be-the-best losers." She stretched and rubbed her stomach. "I'm starving, I'm going to look for food."

"Where?" Panic set into Clari's bloodstream as she thought of her aunt finding the werewolf in the kitchen after hours, or worse, in the henhouse.

"Calm down, I'm going out for a burger. Get dressed!"

"Sia, it's 11:30 at night!" The young witch's eyes widened, and she stared as Sia began getting dressed.

"So? We used to do this all the time before the curse. Come on, hurry up! My stomach isn't gonna wait forever." Sia threw on a light purple flannel shirt and tugged on a pair of jean shorts and Converses.

"Aunt Katherine's gonna kill you one of these days." Clari shot back, turning around.

"She's gonna kill you too, I see you gettin' those shorts on." Sia laughed and Clari blushed, pulling on and zipping her own shorts as she smiled.

"Hurry up and get in the Jeep, before she skins both of us!" Clari laughed and it felt good. The air was hot, and sneaking through the house felt strangely liberating. The recklessness of such a simple act for a 24 year old was maddeningly wonderful, and Clari smiled big as she shut and locked the front door and walked through the front yard towards her Jeep.

The black beast of a Jeep Wrangler was a sight to behold – and one to be heard as well. With the turning over of the engine, Clari pushed the gas and peeled out of the driveway as quickly – and respectfully – as possible. Sia laughed as they turned the radio up on the country road, the sounds of rock blaring through the speakers.

"Wow, we really haven't done this in a long time." Sia commented after a few songs, the winding tree-lined gravel branched out before them. Clari slowed at the only stop sign between them and Main Street, and put her blinker on before turning left towards town.

"You're right. I didn't realize how much I missed it, either." The young witch nodded, straightening out on the pavement. The right side of the road gave way to farmland after a moment, and after another few minutes, the lights of town could be seen. There weren't many shops still open this late, but the girls knew their favorite diner would still be there.

Clari caught a glance of Sia smiling as she looked out of the window. Her best friend drummed her fingers lightly against her thigh, and her black hair caught in the wind and flew back behind her.

The night was beautiful, and as they neared the center of town, Clari turned the music down and glanced around at the shops that lined the streets. There was an instrument shop where the high school rented their marching band instruments from, and then there was an herbal tea place owned by a delightful young Chinese couple. On Sia's side Clari caught a quick glimpse of the Early Bird Café, where she worked, and shortly after that the Painted Magnolia art gallery and frame shop where Sia worked. Two small blocks later, Clari turned into the parking lot of the Gator's Bite Diner.

Sia sighed happily as she rubbed her stomach, and looked back at Clari. "We're home."

"Home where the gator nuggets are fresh and fried, and where the blueberry pie tastes like heaven." Clari nodded.

"You know my girl, some people say it's so good because of witchcraft."

"Shut up before someone hears you!" Clari laughed. "It's the work of the Gods that those blueberries are so good, nothing else."

They exited the Jeep and walked through the front door, laughing as they went to their usual booth. The far side of the diner, almost tucked away by itself, sat a corner booth that rested against the back wall and the window. It wrapped around the inside of the corner and closed in on itself, but the look wasn't uninviting. In truth, Clari thought no one sat there because the owner used it in the mornings, and it was the only booth that hadn't gotten an update in the last forty years.

The seats were still covered in faded red faux leather, with slight rips and wears in the middle behind the table where the owner, Paul, usually sat. It had a built in ash-tray in the center, though the girls didn't use it, and the table was a strange looking white color that darkened near the ash tray. Silver metal trim lined the booth seats and table edge, and Clari scooted in first and chuckled as Sia flopped down onto her end.

The werewolf took a deep breath in, and stretched. "Feels good to be back in here," she said and braided her hair to keep it out of her face.

Clari nodded, looking around at the rest of the diner. The other tables, now wooden and looking far less rickety, reminded her of boring normalcy, and so did the red cloth seats. Actual seats, not booths. They were set in a zigzag pattern through the diner so that no one's chair hit anyone else's, even though that still tended to happen anyways.

"I wonder if Maude's working," Clari thought aloud, looking around at the one group of bikers and the scared-looking couple who were obviously only passing through town. They looked out of place, prim and proper against the retro roughness of the scene.

From the kitchen, as if she had been summoned by the mere mention of her name, Maude arrived. Clari smiled wide and Sia rummaged in her purse, already looking for a twenty to give the older woman. Maude had a head of over-dyed red hair, piled high in a retro bun with victory roles on either side. She wore too much blush and bright red lipstick that looked like it hadn't been touched up all night, and bright blue eyeshadow and mascara.

As soon as she saw Clari and Sia wave, she almost dropped her tray of food. Hastily placing it in front of the out-of-towners, with a rushed dismissal of "Enjoy," she pranced her way over in her open-toed pumps.

"Oh my Gawd!" she said, waving her hand as she bent over and hugged each girl in turn. "My sweet daw-lings! How have you been, and why haven'cha come see me lately?" The Jersey accent made the girls smile and Sia scooted over for Maude to sit down.

"We haven't really had the opportunity to get off the farm or away from work." Sia said, shrugging. "We had some cows give birth and a big calf sale, and had to make sure all of the vegetables were gonna pull through the heat."

Maude nodded. "Oh, I undastand. Gawtta keep that farm up and running!" She laughed and snorted, before opening a pack of cigarettes and lighting one up. "Don't tell!" She said and laughed again.

Sia chuckled but scooted over marginally. Maude could breathe those suckers down in one minute flat, so Clari knew that the wolf wouldn't suffer long, but she couldn't help but feel for her friend. With that heightened sense of smell, she wondered how bad Maude really smelled.

"So what'll it be girls," she woman began, already half way through the cigarette. "The usual?"

Sia smiled. "You know us so well."

Clari laughed and nodded, looking forward to her blueberry pie a la mode. Sia of course was getting almost a four course meal that she was sure was going to make the tourists sick.

"Okay. One a la mode blueberry pie, and an order of cheese sticks, a chocolate oreo milkshake, the double bacon double patty burger with all the fixin's and cheese fries to share, and two sweet teas." Maude didn't even bother taking out her pink feather pen or pad to write it down. The girls had been coming there since they were about 16, and had been ordering the same for the five years since the curse.

Before setting off, Maude drained the last quarter of the cigarette in one puff, and held her smoke until she got up from the table and left back to the kitchen. "Hey Mawtin! You'll never guess who showed up tonight!" She yelled as she entered the swinging double doors behind the counter.

Sia exhaled a breath and slouched slightly. "Gods above."

Clari laughed. "I'm sorry, she always seems to pick you to sit next to when she lights up."

"Must be the gemstones. You know she likes to look at them." Sia shrugged, putting a hand up to the mixed gemstone necklace that she wore. They were in a random placement, all different kinds, and the talisman had been made by Clari's aunt to help keep the werewolf calm.

Clari shrugged. "So what do you really think that sketch meant?"

Running a hand through her long hair, Sia shrugged as Clari chewed her cheek. "Honestly I don't like it. The darkness of it scares me. And there's five of them, and only two of us, three of us if you count your aunt. What's gonna happen if they don't mean well?" Clari watched as Sia used a pointed nail to pick at the metal lining of the table.

"Well, maybe they're just the same kind of darkness? I don't really feel like it's sinister. The actual dream itself was calming, it smelled like vervain." Clari was almost rambling, not even looking at Sia anymore. She heard her friend sigh.

"I know, but still. Even if it smelled like vervain in the dream, what's to say they aren't masking themselves to us? Dark witches use herbs, too."

Clari nodded, and then shrugged. "Well, the best we can do is get ready, I think that's our best option for the moment."

Sia nodded and the swinging doors to the kitchen opened, revealing Maude with a heaping plate of food, and the sweet middle-aged face and hand of Martin, the most amazing chef in Walden County. Immediately Clari could feel the werewolf's shift in mood, from dark and brooding to excited and ravenous.

She laughed as she made room on the table and rubbed her hands together. Sia was practically drooling, but oblivious Maude just set down the food and smiled.

"Awlright ladies, food's up!" She divvied out the rations, and Clari bit her lip to keep from laughing at the fidgeting wolf. "You two enjoy, let me know if you need anything!" Hands on her hips, Maude sashayed towards the main counter with a quick thumbs up at the out of towners.

The girls began working at their food, and the out of towners watched with horrified glances at Sia's feast.

* * *

The morning was cool when they headed back out, laughing. Maude had said goodbye, the out of towners had left, and Martin even had a chance to leave the kitchen to come say hello. It was a marvelous night, and Sia jumped into her seat without opening the door, full of energy.

"I'm really glad you made me come out." Clari said, opening the driver's side door.

"I didn't make you do anything." The werewolf seat, feet up on the dash, leaning back.

"Yeah, well, I'm just hoping Aunt Katherine's asleep when we get home. Otherwise we'll be in for it."

"Oh come on, Clari, don't ruin my digestion."

"Like anything could ruin your digestion, girl, you'll be hungry again in two hours."

Sia laughed, and nodded. "So. I can't help it."

The werewolf watched as the swamp witch started the car, shaking her head. The drive back was clear and the wee hours air smelled sweet. Farmland gave way to trees, and as they turned right at the driveway to the ranch, Sia sat up straight.

Her hair was on end, and immediately, her eyes went gold. "Clari,"

"I feel it," the Swamp Witch said, her voice low and soft.

The air had changed. It now smelled like the spice of thunderstorms and rain, even though the sky was clear. The stars were almost too bright, like each one was a sun shining down through the black night's sky. Sia sat stock still as the vision took hold.

 _Running. The scent of fear and anger coated her tongue. There had been a breech in her territorial lines. She was chasing something, something that smelled like burnt fur and death, something that smelled human, but not quite, but not like Clari._

 _She snarled, weaving through the trees and jumping over puddles, increasing her speed. This was her land, it was hers to govern and rule as she saw fit, and this Darkness would leave, even if she died. Clari must have been behind her, the weight wasn't on her back like usual._

 _There it was, it was right ahead. The intruders. She growled violently and burst through the trees, and saw the lot of them. Snarling, she pouncing, heading right for the one in the center._

The vision was violent, it was raw and powerful, and Sia felt herself slipping out of consciousness as it subsided. With a final glance, she saw that Clari had already been lost, and a black void took her vision.


	4. Happy Thoughts and Sour Milk

**AN;** Hey everyone! Sorry this chapter is so disgustingly late. My semester isn't going as planned and with peak season coming at work, it's been more hectic than I originally anticipated. However, this story is still hot in my mind and fingertips, and wants to be let out of the bag as quickly as possible.

Sorry for the shortness of these last two chapters, by the way. I wanted to divide up one huge chapter into several, it just felt like it flowed better. Also, I don't think the Boys and Girls should be kept apart much longer. It could be a fated meeting after all, couldn't it? ;)

* * *

Chapter Three:

 **Happy Thoughts and Sour Milk**

It was uncomfortably hot. That was her waking thought. Her second, was registering that someone had been shouting her name.

"Sienna! Sienna!" Sia's eyes opened to reveal a frightened woman, who was shaking her arm firmly.

"Miss Katherine?" Her throat hurt. She sat up gingerly and placed a hand on her forehead, and images from the vision came back to her. Sia suddenly remembered where she was. "Clari?"

With a frantic turn of her head, Sia found a just-waking Clari, slumped over the wheel of the Jeep.

"That must have been some vision. I could feel it all the way at the house." Miss Katherine said, hands on her hips as Sia looked forward.

"We haven't had one like that in a few years." Clari whispered from her seat, now leaning back and resting her head against the head rest. Her eyes were shut with her hands over them, trying to calm the painful sensation.

Sia could only nod, the dull throbbing behind her eyes making it feel like if she took in a breath to speak, she'd just pass out again. Luckily, Miss Katherine had come prepared.

"Here, girls." The older witch produced a small mason jar of tea from her purse. Inside was an herbal remedy so potent that if you drank more than a sip, you'd feel higher than the clouds. "You know the drill. One small sip."

Clari took her sip first. Sia's metabolism made it so that she needed a larger sip, so it was always best for Clari to take the first dose. Afterwards, Clari sighed and handed the mason jar to the werewolf.

Sia's hands shook with pain as she raised the mason jar to her lips. The cheesecloth felt weird to drink through, but if you got the herbs it would be too much. The tea was sweet, almost like it had been made by the Gods themselves. She could taste many different things, but most prominent was the strange combination of peppermint and feverfew. She wrinkled her nose as she took her swig, and held it in her mouth for a moment before swallowing. It was always weird drinking anything with the two herbs mixed together, as peppermint was typically minty and sweet while the feverfew was bitter.

After taking a few breaths, she began to feel the headache subside. The chamomile in the mix was working wonders already, and she gently handed the jar back to Clari's aunt for safe keeping.

"How did you find us?" Clari asked, opening one eye to look at her aunt.

"Well, you're on the property, so I just used one of the stones to track you down."

The girls nodded, and Sia opened her eyes slightly. The pain had dulled to a slight discomfort, and would go away soon if she guessed right. It was morning, and they were on the side of the road just inside the treeline on the driveway. Clari had been able to get them out of the view of the public road before pulling over.

"Alright, well, I have to get to town. It's morning, so I'd go on home if I were you. Get some rest. We'll talk about that vision when I get home later." Miss Katherine said, and then she patted the side of the Jeep and headed back to her truck.

"That was really weird." Clari said after a moment. Her eyes were still closed. Sia could tell that she was reviewing the vision by the way her brow was furrowed.

"No kidding. What in the world brought it on?" Sia asked aloud, tilting her head as she closed her eyes again. She was totally drained, her joints felt like jelly, and she didn't even think she could muster the strength to phase after this one. "Whatever, we need to get home."

Clari nodded and shifted the still-running Jeep into gear. They'd be home soon.

* * *

"Chase, you're riding with Reid and Tyler. I don't have time for you today."

Chase's teeth were on edge immediately. "Well if I'm that much of a fucking burden why am I here?" He growled under his breath as he walked over to Tyler's Hummer. Caleb didn't even deign to respond, and Chase shook his head.

"Hey," Reid nodded as the older warlock neared. "We cleared a spot for you in the back."

With a returning nod, Chase opened the back seat and slid in, shutting the door a tad roughly.

"Dude, calm down." Tyler began, looking back in the rearview mirror. "Don't let Caleb get to you, man."

"How can I not when he insults me every chance he gets? Or when he treats me like shit or belittles me?"

"You know him and Pogue are still salty over the Sarah and Kate thing. It was a pretty fucked up thing to do, Chase." Reid began, but was cut off.

"Was it though? None of you ever even knew I existed, what the hell was I supposed to do for a grand homecoming?" Chase laughed bitterly, but looked out the window as they turned onto the interstate.

Reid was about to make a rebuttal, but after a glare from Tyler he grumbled and settled back. "Yeah, well, you could have just come up and told us." was what he finally said aloud.

Chase glanced at the passenger's seat, head tilted. He'd thought of it, yes. Thought of just going up and explaining things to them, showing them the Power, so they'd believe, but his father's Power, it as darker than he'd ever imagined. He was no bright light of goodness, himself, but his father's Power had been blacker than a blind man's eternal night, and it cloaked him in an anger that had traveled through many generations. He shook his head and sighed. With the Power stripped from him, his head had cleared. His demeanor had evened out if you could call it that, but beyond that he was still his old sarcastic, testy self.

"If you had felt that Darkness, I don't think even either of you would have been wholly rational." Was all Chase said before the rest of the ride to Walden County fell into complete silence.

(line)

The day had been very, very long. Clari had slept most of the day, Sia having recovered far sooner than she did. But now, she was behind on her chores and the sun was far past its high point in the sky. Slipping on her pasture boots, Clari made her way to the barn. Sia had gone out for a hunt, having already taken care of the garden. It was one of the only things she could do on the farm was garden, the livestock were scared shitless of her.

The cows were eager to be milked for the day, and Clari let the heifers in one to a stall, leaving the rest out to pasture until their turn. Sitting down in the first heifer's stall, she placed the bucket beneath the cow and began to milk. Humming a calming tune, the cow cooed in response, and soon she moved on to the next.

As she finished milking, she set them all to the south pasture for the night. It would be warm, and Sia would be coming through the north pasture today, and the sight of a carcass could spoil their milk production, and then her aunt would be up the walls.

Sighing, she went back to the house, turning the machines on with a flick of her wrist and headed back to the house. Her aunt should be home soon, and so should Sia with the deer that would last them for another two weeks. The weather was going to be turning soon, and deer chili would be on the menu again.

The gumbo smelled amazing as she walked into the house, even better than it had that morning when she and Sia had gotten home. Tonight she just planned to stay in and relax after that vision, and she wanted to rest up before going back into work tomorrow morning.

"Clari," Aunt Katherine called, and Clari turned around to greet her aunt. "How are you feeling?"

Clari nodded. "Better. I still feel drained, but I'll feel better in the morning, I'm sure."

Aunt Katherine nodded, and she patted Clari's cheek as she passed. "Good. And Sia?"

"She's out getting the deer, but she's feeling a lot better, too."

"Good. Can't have my girls feeling anything but their best. I think your darkness is about to arrive." She chuckled and walked into the kitchen.

"What? Why would you say that like it's a good thing? Have you been reading the cards? What did you see?"

"Hush now, lovely. You know they don't go that far into the future." Katherine said. "I only saw a glimpse, like usual. But I don't think it's quite what you're going to think. What I saw was an arrival of something big, multiple people like us, but I don't think they're the ones who you should be worried about." Katherine poured herself and her niece a cup of coffee, and together they sat at the kitchen island.

"What do you mean?" Clari asked, breathing in the steam from her cup.

"There were five people, I couldn't make out faces, but I saw them standing behind you and a whole pack of werewolves, like they were assisting you."

"A whole pack of werewolves?" Clari said quietly, looking at the blackness of the coffee.

Katherine placed a hand on the young witch's arm. "Yes. There were at least ten, if I counted right, not including Sia. Some of the werewolves were spastic, almost like they were barely contained, and Sia's head was low, as if she was under great pressure. I think the arrival of these individuals could start a downfall. If there are more wolves, I'm not sure how we'll be able to contain them all, dear."

Clari bit her lip. This was really bad news, so bad that it could ruin them. Her family had lived in Walden County since it was founded, in peace in the bayous and on this property since they came here. If they had to leave… She decided not to think about it, and she shook her head.

"So that vision from last night, what was it from Sia's end?" Clari asked.

"Well, from what she told me it was like she had to protect her territory, like she had received word that her borders had been breeched and she was going to war, but she didn't mention any wolves from it." Katherine replied, taking a sip of her coffee.

"No, and I didn't see or hear any either. I was her in the vision, and she was running through the forest without me. And there were these people…" Clari slowly stopped speaking, and realization slowly dawned on her.

"You don't think that was them in the vision, do you?" Katherine said, standing up as Clari went to the window, her heart racing. Something wasn't right, and the clouds in the evening sky were now stained the color of blood.

"I'm not sure, but I hope she gets back so-!"

A piercing howl split the air, and on the horizon line of the north pasture, they could see Sia. Her eyes were bright gold and furious, and she glanced at the farm house before turning around and darting off to the trees.

"Sia!" Clari screamed, and ran out of the house and through the pasture. "Sia wait! Come back!" She ran and she could hear her aunt behind her, but she reached out her mind to touch her friend's,

 _"Intruders! I will kill you. How dare you come here!"_ The growl was loud and rang in Clari's ears so loud that she fell.

"SIA!" she screamed, with her mind and voice, and she went unheard except for the sound of snarls and paws crashing against foliage.


	5. Trick or Intruder

**Save Me**

Covenant Fanfic

 **AN;** Sorry to be so mean to you guys with the cliff hanger. Enjoy a long chapter for all of your waiting! :D

* * *

 **Chapter Four: Trick or Intruder**

Sia felt like her whole body was buzzing, a side effect of both the anger and the trigger on her seals. She snarled as she weaved through the trees and bushes, hardly hearing Clari and Katherine behind her. That was probably just as well, though, if it was another werewolf or some other beast, she'd prefer to tackle it herself instead of involving them.

The spot where the rune was tripped was nearing, and she could smell the putrid scent of darkness. It burned her nostrils and stung her eyes, but the feeling only infuriated her more. Her teeth couldn't be any more bared as she roared, crashing through the last row of bushes onto the path to face her intruder.

She didn't know what she expected to find when she leaped to attack, but it certainly wasn't thin air. She landed and turned on a dime, looking to the left and right, snarling and growling loudly.

" _Where are you?"_ she growled, her voice guttural and harsh sounding through the elongated muzzle and sharp teeth. She snarled and whirled around, narrowing her eyes and sniffing the air. The scent of darkness was everywhere – and nowhere it seemed.

She licked her teeth, standing with her head lowered, listening to the sounds of the forest. No batsongs, no insect chirps, not even the typical wiggles through the leaf litter of small mammals and night hunters. The whole air of the forest in the area felt wrong. She couldn't put her paw on it, but it was just wrong. Shaking out her fur and fluffing it up, she sliced a pawpad with her teeth and drew a whole series of bloodrunes into the ground, leaving them full out into the open to see.

The scent was fading, and a new scent was coming with the air, one of magnolias and warmth. Katherine and Clari had caught up to her.

"Sienna!" Katherine said, looking down at the runes directly in front of her. "Those are heavy runes, you shouldn't have made them by yourself. Do you realize the toll?"

Sia merely huffed in response, head still up looking for any sign of the intruders.

"I don't understand… The vision…" Clari said, laying a hand on Sia's shoulder and looking around.

 _"There was something here,"_ Sia replied, taking a few steps forward and sniffing. _"I smelled it. But the runes should have locked it in place. It won't escape these next ones."_ She looked at her work and flicked her tail in irritation. Her black head looked up to the canopy, her eyes surveying every branch in the vicinity, but she could feel that whatever it was had spirited itself away.

"I don't like this, girls." Katherine said, and Sia flicked an ear in agreement. The night was far too quiet, and too empty despite the runes that had previously been set. "I say we cloak ourselves and get back." She patted Sia and Clari, and then drew a symbol over her forehead.

Clari sighed and looked at Sia as her aunt seemed to evaporate as she walked. Sia licked her chops, one ear falling back as she sighed. _"Let's go home."_ She said, her golden eyes shifting around, but the forest smelled as if darkness hadn't tainted it in a hundred years.

Clari climbed onto Sia's back and performed the symbol spell, and Sia loped forward to catch up with Katherine.

"We have to talk in the morning, okay?" Clari said quietly, and Sia huffed in response as they caught up with the older swamp witch.

* * *

The morning came far too early. Sia had a splitting headache, probably from only getting to sleep a few hours ago after seeing to the breech. It was still a breech. There was no way it couldn't have been. Whatever it was had just been… Lucky.

She growled as she sat up in her small cabin, looking around the bedroom. It was spartan, but she spent most of the time at the farm or in the forest anyways. The only things she kept in her bedroom aside from her bed and dresser were her sketching supplies, a small bookshelf for her current reading materials, and a basket full of yarn and knitting needles. Her sketches of visions and dreams covered the walls, some on torn sheets, others on the back of receipts, and some having been made into full blown drawings or paintings.

Looking at them today made her feel ill, so she decided to just go eat something. She was starving even if she felt sick, as usual, which made the combination that much more unbearable. The kitchen was the warm colors of autumn. This area hardly ever saw much of the colder months, so when she bought the hunting cabin she had deemed to make it her own warm paradise, fit for the mountains, even if there weren't any around here.

She sighed and made herself a cup of tea, and began to fry up some sausage and eggs, putting a few slices of toast in the toaster. The garden didn't need tending to but every other day, so today was her day to relax. And not having work was even better. She could sit at home and do as she pleased. She could draw or paint, watch movies or binge watch a season on Netflix, knit, or just sleep.

All were tempting, honestly, and as her tea steeped while she cooked she gazed out the window. In her cabin, she was surrounded by the forest. Her trees were before her, and she felt warmth and comfort in her sanctuary. She knew all of these trees, knew all of the bushes and each winding little creek that sometimes weaved its way between the roots and on to the larger rivers of the bayou. Today, for the first time in what seemed like a long time, she could relax and recuperate in her domain. And even better, tonight was the full moon.

Her sausage was finally cooked enough for her human body to be able to ingest, and she spooned the ten links onto a plate where the five scrambled eggs sat, and grabbed her six slices of toast and tea cup to enjoy in the living room. Setting her food on the coffee table, she sat down on her plaid couch and pulled a hand knit afghan over her lap. She flicked on the television and scrolled through the channels before settling on HGTV. Something normal and easy to tune out.

Her food went by too fast, but not her headache, and when she had finished her tea and her second episode of House Hunters, she sighed and turned the television off and lay down on the couch. Maybe a change of scenery would help reset her body and relax her some.

"Come on, Sienna, you don't have a headache, you can relax."

But relaxation didn't come. Sleep did, but not relief. She woke up an hour later to the sound of her cell phone ringing in the other room, and she begrudgingly got up to answer it. She gingerly took out the charger, having broken too many to be rough with the newest one, and answered without checking the caller ID.

"Hello?" Her voice was rough, not from sickness, but from annoyance, and the caller could tell.

"Geez, bite my head off." Clari said through the receiver, and Sia rubbed her eyes lightly.

"Sorry. My head is pounding. I'm not sure what's going on. What's up?" She walked back out to the living room and plopped back down on the couch.

"Can I come by? I need to talk to you about the vision."

Vision? Had she had a vision last night, and that was the reason her head was splitting in two? "Sure. I'll make you some coffee."

"Coffee?" Clari asked, and Sia opened her eyes at the confusion. "Sia, it's like three in the afternoon."

Sia sat up too quickly, and her head throbbed to the point of nausea. She grabbed her stomach and slowed her breathing down before answering a few moments later. "Oh. I didn't know."

"It's okay, I'm on my way." Clari said, and she could hear the clinking of apothecary bottles in the background before the line cut off.

She sat back down, trying to slow her heart. It had just been morning. She remembered clearly. It had been about ten thirty when she woke up, and she had only been up for an hour before taking her nap, and that hadn't lasted four hours, she knew. Something was wrong, and she couldn't put her finger on it. She was confused, she felt like she wasn't in control but knew that she was.

Fifteen minutes later Clari entered the cabin, and with her an arsenal of teas and even some fresh honey. "I brought some of the good stuff." Was all she said before walking through to the kitchen. All Sia could do was nod.

"Whoa, you really aren't feeling well." Clari said, her three or four bags of stuff drooping on her arms as she went to set it on the kitchen table. "Okay, I'll get the tea brewing them. In the meantime, eat this."

Sia felt something in her hand, and she closed her fingers around it. It smelled like beef jerky. She brought it to her lips without looking and yes, it most definitely was beef jerky. She could taste the tanginess of herbs on it, but the meat was so good that in just a few seconds, it had already been devoured.

"Haven't you been eating enough meat?" Clari asked, sitting down with a kettle and muttering a few words at it to get it to boil. The instant heat made the scent of the tea flow through the room, and Sia sat up gingerly.

"I thought I was, I'm not sure anymore. Maybe my metabolism's growing again?" She said lowly as Clari steeped the herbal remedy.

"Maybe we'll just need to get an extra deer each month to keep you stocked up with jerky or something?" the young witch asked, and Sia nodded. "Well, in any case we need to do something. It's not good that you're losing hours and we don't know why."

Sia nodded again, her hands suddenly full of more beef jerky. She nibbled on it, savoring the flavor and texture in her mouth. The first sip of tea a moment later brought relaxation to her muscles, and she sighed lightly as she slumped back into the couch cushions.

"So what about the vision? I don't remember having one last night." Sia began, holding her tea cup on her lap and glancing at her friend.

"Oh, no it was the one about the five people." Clari said, and then sat straight upright. "See, Aunt Katherine and I think there's something we're missing, some vital piece of information or someone important. She used the cards to conjure a possible future, and what she saw was… kind of upsetting."

Sia raised one eyebrow when Clari looked away and pulled out of a bag her own bottle of iced herbal tea.

"Well," the witch continued, "there were other wolves in this future."

Sia sat up and put her head in her hands.

"Some of them looked like they were under your control, which is a good thing, but others she said looked wild, like they were hardly able to be brought back." Clari took a swig of her iced tea and sighed. "I don't think we're on the right track thinking these five people are bad. They were on our side, like some of the wolves were."

Sia sighed. "Look, we just had a breech, this is all too much for me right now." She tossed her handful of beef jerky on the table and stood up shakily, sighing.

"I know this is overwhelming, but we know that's the deal with visions is that they don't always offer everything up in one go."

"Well then why did we have that one about the breech?"

"I'm not even sure what you were chasing in that vision, Sia, we didn't see anything, you just smelled darkness." Clari said, throwing her hands in the air.

Sia snarled and leaned against the wall. "I don't know if I believe that. You could smell what I smelled in the vision, this is the same thing as what we smelled in the vision with the five of whoever the hell is on their way here."

Clari sighed. "Yes, I know it was. It stinks. It's different than witches but similar." She shook her head. "Let's just relax today and focus on getting you better."

Sia shook her head as well. "I don't like this. We need to take extra measures."

Clari picked out a DVD. "Well, we can walk the perimeter later tonight, it's a full moon and you'll be more powerful. Maybe we can pick something up then that we missed last night. For now, let's watch The Labyrinth and some movies and relax."

The final tone in both of their voices made Sia roll her eyes. She knew nothing more would be said on the matter tonight, both of them were too stubborn to budge on their perspectives. She growled and sat down, sipping her tea.

"You're lucky I love this movie." She snatched the rest of the jerky from the table and ripped into a slice, slumping back lazily.

Clari smiled. "I know you do." She sat back and put her feet up on the coffee table, and the movie began.

* * *

"We're here."

Tyler's voice jolted Reid awake and he stretched like a lazy housecat. He sighed, looking around. "So this is Walden County? Cute."

They were outside of a beautiful Victorian Bed and Breakfast, painted sky blue with white trim and detailing, and a lovely slate grey roof. Reid raised his blond eyebrows and scratched his chin. "This looks like something out of a fairy tale. Aw, look, a cat!"

The fat tabby hissed at Reid and he snatched his hand back. Chase and Tyler laughed loudly, and Reid scowled. "I hate cats anyways," he muttered and skulked towards the white fence that seemed to hardly be able to hold back the lush garden of wildflowers.

Reid watched a Caleb and Pogue strolled up, and he could feel the tension rolling off of Chase in waves. He actually felt really bad about it. Chase was barely living by their standards, and he was constantly picked on by the second and third oldest Ipswich boys. Reid had been there, and Caleb and Pogue weren't exactly the nicest sometimes.

He sighed and lowered his head. Best to stay out of it for now.

"We're checked in." Caleb said, his voice rough. "Get your stuff in and get settled. Tonight's a full moon, we're gonna go out and check the town out."

Reid nodded, chewing his cheek. Tyler was already popping the trunk and Chase was into the back seat, and Caleb and Pogue had already disappeared, but it was still weird. There hadn't been anything like this since, well, since Chase popped up seven years ago.

"Full moon's a good sign," Tyler remarked as Reid walked over and grabbed his bags.

"Yeah, good for looking for whatever we're looking for." He replied, shrugging. Chase was waiting for them by the open picket fence and he and Tyler walked through and up onto the porch.

"Good point," the older warlock remarked as they all three went back to grab the last of the luggage.

"Well, looks like we have time for a nap and dinner before we get things started in any case." Tyler said and shrugged. With that, they picked up their bags and headed back to the mansion and up to their rooms.

* * *

Dinner had been at a small Italian restaurant in town, Bon Bon's, and now the moon was out in full force.

Chase looked up and watched it lazily as they walked the main street, and the houses and shops began to fade away behind them. Ahead lay a nature reserve, at least that's what it was advertised as from the sign and fence they just passed. Trespassing in a new place was always a thrill.

This forest smelled different than it did back at home, and they hadn't even entered the trees yet. It smelled saltier, wilder, almost. Like it held so many more secrets than the trees back home could even imagine. He narrowed his eyes as he checked out the area around them. The trees were thick and the bark scratchier. This forest was much older than the ones at home, where newer trees grew. The air was cleaner than at home, too, despite the strange feeling that both of these towns were almost equally old.

"Is it just me or does it feel like we're being watched?" Reid asked, rubbing the back of his neck.

"No, something's definitely up." Pogue answered, looking around. They had entered the forest finally, and the wind through the trees felt like they were whispering to each other. Chase shivered and looked around. The moon offered plenty of light, even in the trees, and soon they found a trail to walk on which made it even easier to traverse the foliage.

"Do you think we'll find whatever it is we need to find out here?" Tyler asked, looking at Caleb.

"At this point, I'm honestly not sure, I just get this feeling like something big's about to happen." Caleb's voice was low, never a good sign. It meant that his consciousness was deep inside his brain, weighing out options, possibilities, and many many other things that should probably have been voiced to the group.

Chase was at Caleb's left, between him and Pogue since he technically had almost no Power left in him at all. To Caleb's right were Reid and Tyler, and Chase wished silently that he was on that side instead of trapped in between two people who would probably leave him to die if things got bad.

Chase shrugged off that feeling. He knew they wouldn't. They wouldn't let another warlock die on their watch, even if they hated him. He looked out into the trees, searching for anything that could break this situation.

* * *

After watching the Labyrinth and about five episodes of the Flash, Clari and Sia had made a dinner of deer stew that Aunt Katherine had brought over. She had even made Sia's favorite tea, a blend of herbs that made her feel giddy and happy, and most of all better from her episode earlier, of which none of them could figure out the cause.

They had eaten at Sia's cabin, and after Aunt Katherine had left and the moon had risen to an acceptable point for Clari's eyes, they had set off to walk the perimeter.

The night was beautiful, not hot despite the season, and not muggy with all the rivers and creeks. For an hour, everything was smooth and lovely, no new scents on the breeze, no noises besides batsong and the chirping of crickets. At the moment where they neared the spot where the breech happened, though, the bats and crickets fell eerily silent. Even the wind stopped moving the branches, and the air felt still and heavy.

"Can you smell anything new?" Clari asked as Sia started pacing, stooping to look at the dirt. Her runemarks were there, and they were dormant, so she sighed.

"Actually no. It smells normal. A weird after smell like a hair straightener, but you used a lot of magic on those teas and jerky today, so that's not noteworthy."

Clari sighed. Sia knew she wouldn't be able to pick up anything more though, and she stood up and put her hands on her hips as the breeze picked up again.

Turning slightly to the south, and taking a calming breath in, she froze. The moon was illuminating perfectly the exact setting that had been in that first vision. The bushes were illuminated and the trees were harsh silhouettes against a break in the foliage where the trail went into a small meadow, allowing more light to shine through than normal.

"Clari," she whispered, and as the witch turned around, a figure appeared.

And then another. And another. And another, and another. Five. Five figures, illuminated through the foliage just like in that vision, five silhouettes that hadn't tripped any of her runes and that brought with them a scent similar to Clari's, but different.

"Oh my Gods, Sia. Oh my Gods!" Clari whispered, stepping closer, but as the figures neared, they too stopped. The moon now shone on them, and they stood about 100 feet away from the girls.

Sia held her breath for a moment, and when she went to take another, a new smell had entered her nose. It smelled of burnt hair. Darkness. It smelled of decay and disease, and all things wrong and bad.

She snarled, shoving Clari behind her more roughly than she originally intended. These men had to be the source of that dark scent.

"Who are you?" She called out, voice almost a growl. She didn't want to give herself away just yet. She had the upper hand. She had another form they knew nothing about.

"Who are you?" The man in the middle countered, lifting his head. He had an arrogance about him, but she supposed that Darkness would think nothing could challenge it. It would be very, very wrong.

"This is my forest!" she spat, "I'll ask the questions! Now tell me what you're doing on my land!"

"Your land?" The farthest left asked, stepping forward. "This is public land, it's a nature reserve. You don't own anything here." The voice was condescending, as if she was a stupid little girl who was back talking an adult. She'd show him.

"Sia," Clari said, grabbing at her arm.

"This is MY land!" She snarled louder, and the men cocked their heads to the side. "You will leave!" She shoved Clari to the ground, away from her as she sprang forward.

Three of the intruders jumped back, but the one farthest to the left who had said she had no claim put his hands together, and between them sprung a pulsating ball of clear energy. He hurled it at her, and it flew quickly before slamming into her chest.

"Sienna!" Clari's voice found her ears as she flew and tumbled through the air, but it gave her renewed strength. As her body had reached its highest point, her back parallel to the ground, she began the change.

It happened in a blink, she felt it, much faster than it usually did. Fur erupted from her body and bones and muscles changed in a fraction of a second, and then her front paws hit the ground. She dragged them to slow down her descent, and when her back paws hit, she looked up at them.

Shock. Fear. Confusion. All the scents of chaotic emotions were rampant through the air as she growled, eyes glowing a dangerous luminous gold in the moon's light. She was strength and rule in this territory, and she snapped her jaws.

"Sienna!" Clari screeched, hands on her cheeks as she stood back, wide eyed.

"What the fuck is that?!" The man between the instigators exclaimed.

Silence fell for a second. That word was about to come. The one that she knew brought out so much pain in her heart but that had elevated her state of being in a magnificent way once it had been controlled. _Werewolf._

"Werewolf!" The blond on the right shouted, and pointed before turning tail and running.

"Get out of here!" the man in the middle said, and they all turned to escape.

 _"Not today! Today you won't escape. You'll DIE!"_ Sia gave a great roar and a howl, and then she was moving towards her prey.

* * *

"Shit! Shit shit shit!" Clari said, and looked around. Sia was making threats, it would only be a matter of time before she pounced. She closed her eyes and raised her hands. Muttering an incantation, she lifted her chin. "Vines." She ordered, and the magic flowed through her veins. She reveled in the feeling for a moment, and her eyes grew grey.

She felt the power, it flowed thorugh her, and around her she could hear the growth, feel it. Looking down, she saw a lone vine, slowly making its way towards the wolf that was her best friend. But it wasn't moving fast enough.

"No! Move! Why are you so slow?!" She moved her arms, as if trying to move the magic along. "Hurry up!" This always seemed to happen when she was nervous or not thinking straight, the magic never listened like she needed it to.

The yelling men were ahead of Sia, but Clari knew that it wouldn't be enough. The vines were growing too slow.

"Sienna!" She screamed, but the werewolf took no heed.

"Stop!" A great gust of wind blew, and Clari was knocked to the ground as ahead of her, great hedges shot up into the air, and the presence of powerful magic flowed electric through the air. It felt like static on her skin, and she gasped as she sat up.

Her aunt had come. She must have felt the disturbance through the forest. Clari's eyes went back to green as she shook, trying to relax. The hedges were actually two square cells, one containing the strange new group of men, and the other holding captive the irate werewolf. Snarls and howls came from that one, and Clari couldn't help but imagine how angry Sia would be when she finally got out.

"Aunt Katherine!" She said finally, and ran up to her aunt. "The men from the vision! They're something kind of like us, they have magic!" She said, and her aunt just nodded.

"I saw. I was out for a walk to pick some more night-blooming jasmine and saw the exchange." Katherine said, and dropped the hedge cell that held the men.

Immediately, they looked around, confused, and then Katherine cleared her throat.

Clari walked quietly behind her aunt, wary of the men. They all looked about the same age, but she could make each one apart, now. There was one who looked young in the face, with brown-black hair and blue eyes, beside a man who was blond haired with blue eyes. The next man was muscular, with dark black hair and eyes that matched, and beside him was a man of similar height with slightly lighter hair and blue eyes. This one was much warier, seemingly of the other men just as much as the werewolf and herself and aunt. The last man had longer brown-blond hair and hazel eyes, and he was the angriest, she could sense it rolling off him in waves.

The men quieted and looked at the two of them, and Clari narrowed her eyes. If they were evil, she knew her aunt would set Sia on them, but just to be sure, the hedge cell of the werewolf stayed intact.

"I'm Katherine Willows, and this is my niece, Clari." Katherine began, and Clari glanced at Sia's cell, which quivered and lost leaves that quickly grew back as the werewolf slammed against the walls. "We, along with this loup garou, are the keepers of this reserve. Who are you and why are you here?"

The twang in her aunt's voice was just a threatening as anything she'd ever heard, and she crossed her arms as she waited. The black haired man stepped forward.

"I'm Caleb Danvers. We're from Ipswich." He said, his voice deep and powerful.

Katherine and Clari shared another look.

"I'd heard of others from our kind going elsewhere, but I wasn't aware the rumors had been true." She stated, and the man nodded.

"Our bloodlines helped settle the colony there. With me are the other four descendants of the Covenant, Pogue Perry, Reid Garwin, Tyler Simms, and Chase Collins." Caleb motioned to each man in turn, and Clari made a note of who was who. "We're here because I had a vision of darkness. It was strong enough to reach us all the way in Ipswich, and the spirit of my late father instructed me to come here."

Katherine nodded her head and chewed her cheek, and Clari glanced at her. "Alright then. Come with us." From her pocket, she produced a blow stick and dart.

"Aunt Katherine, no." Clari said, and waved her arms. "No, she hates it when you do that."

Katherine shrugged and walked to the hedge cell. "Well, she'll have to learn to deal with things more civil, then." She placed the dart in the stick, and a hole opened in the hedge maze.

"Aunt Katherine, ple-"

A yipe came from the other hedge after the dart flew from the blow stick, and Clari sighed angrily. Sia hated when she was tranquilized. It was one of the worst things for her ever, because the enchantment always placed her in the front yard after she went down. And she was always nude.

Clari bit her lip as the hedgerow dropped and withered, and behind it was no werewolf.

"Don't worry, she'll be in your room this time." Katherine said before turning around and motioning for the men to follow.

Clari went to follow before she felt a tug on her foot. Looking down, she noticed the vine she conjured trying to creep its way up her leg. "Oh, give me a break." She scoffed and waved her hand to dismiss the magic. With that, she turned on her heel and walked after her aunt and the men from Ipswich, hoping that Sienna wouldn't wake up and destroy the farm before they got there.


	6. Monster Mash

**Save Me**

Covenant Fanfic

 **A/N:** So they've finally met! We'll see how everyone does after Sia wakes up and everyone gets in the house. Might not be so pretty!

 **Chapter Five:** Monster Mash

* * *

The walk back to the farm was, well, pretty quiet. Without anyone to gossip with, Clari was resigned to the back of the group and wondering what state Sia would be in when they arrived. Or the farm, for that matter. Or the cows. Or the house. Clari grew increasingly worried the closer they got the farm.

However, the closer they got, the quieter it got. No noise was coming from the small valley they called home, no terrified mooing of the heifers, no mad howling of a beast whose power was overruled in her own territory. Clari bit her cheek and crossed her arms, but they walked all the way through the pastures, up through the vegetable garden in the front yard, and up on the front porch and through the door, all the way to the kitchen, in complete silence.

Turning around and leaning against the sink, Katherine spoke. "Earlier you said you had a vision here. Care to share?" She folded her arms and grabbed a hand towel to begin washing dishes while they talked.

"We have these creatures called Darklings, spirits of the dead who come back and bear a bad omen. In the vision the one I saw was my father, and he warned me that if we didn't come and face a growing darkness here in Walden County, it would soon find and destroy us in Ipswich." Caleb said. Clari thought that he might be the leader of the group, the way that when he talked the others listened and stopped their own conversations. He furrowed his brow and Clari looked at the other men before straining her ears for the noise of crunching wood and angry snarls. None came yet. "We have lives and families back home. We had to come here and face it head on."

"And what do you think this Darkness is?" Katherine asked before Clari could open her mouth, and the younger witch raised her eyes. Her aunt had this, and she should probably go and check on Sia and make sure that when the werewolf did come around, she didn't turn the farmhouse into a pile of rubble. No one noticed her slip out, thankfully, and she treaded lightly down the hallway to her room.

Sia was asleep on the bed, and so Clari crawled into her reading chair and waited, sighing into her hand.

* * *

Sia awoke calmly. The room smelled of flowers and garden dirt. She was in Clari's room. She furrowed her brow and sat up in the pre-dawn light, feeling her pupils open to allow more light in. The air was cool for once, and she sat up and looked around. Clari was asleep in her reading chair, an old beat up recliner that had truthfully seen much better days. She tilted her head and stretched, yawning wide.

With a jolt, Clari woke at the noise, and glared at Sia for waking her. "'Bout time you woke up." The witch grumbled and wobbled to the bed, huffing.

Sia scoffed. "Feels like I've been asleep for days." She rubbed her face and braided her hair back, the thick black length fell and smacked Clari in the face. "That's for letting her dart me."

"Hey, I told her no!" Clari said, pointing a finger at the werewolf. She smiled. "You're taking this very well. I'm proud." She cracked her back and rolled over. "I'm sure Aunt Katherine will be too once she wakes up."

Sia nodded. "That would be nice. So where are they staying?"

"Why do you wanna know?"

"Just to assert my dominance. Leave a few dead deer. Rune their cars so I know where they go. They're in my territory, after all. It's my right to know."

"I don't think they'll take too kindly to that, Sia. Especially that Caleb guy, I think he's like their leader or something. Just they way he talks, I feel like he's used to being in charge."

Sia shrugged and chuckled. "Please. You know how much it takes to hurt me. Besides, it would be rude of me not to… welcome them." She said and offered an innocent smile and batted her eyes.

"I don't believe you for a minute." Clari said and sighed, placing a pillow over her head for a moment. "They're at Wilhelm Manor, but don't leave any dead animals! I'm serious, if something like that happened you know that Miss Nancy would have more news channels there than anywhere else in Louisiana."

Sia thought about it for a moment before nodding. "You're right. I'm still going to go and smell them out, though." She got up out of bed and looked outside through the open window. The tomatoes would be ready soon. The smell of their vines made her sigh as she looked back at Clari. "Don't let Aunt Katherine forget about my sausage for breakfast."

"Girl, go." Clari said and rolled over, pulling the blanket over her head.

Sia smiled and jumped out of the window, phased, and made her way towards town.

The run was refreshing. Her body felt renewed and strong from the full moon, and as she ran through the fields and woodlands, careful not to put her feet into any dirt or mud, she sniffed the air. It smelled like summer, and nothing more. The closer she got to Wilhelm Manor, the fresher the air stayed.

 _Strange_ , she thought, narrowing her golden eyes as she jumped the fence to the backyard and phased back. The thick foliage of the two acre gardens helped conceal her nakedness, not that it really mattered to her. Miss Nancy, however, was as old-fashioned as they came, and if she saw a naked woman in the back of her bed and breakfast, she might just die.

As Sia neared the beautiful Victorian, she began to smell them. Their scents were each unique, and she could make out all five of them among the scents of the humans who were currently there. The windows were open, and inside she could hear snoring and the deep breathing sounds associated with sleep. She narrowed her eyes as she picked her way through the garden trees, all low enough to conceal her in the shadows.

The click of a cup on a table caught her attention, and she stopped stock still. Looking on the wide veranda, she spied a man. Her pupils widened, and she kept her position in the trees as she waited to see if he would notice her or not.

He didn't appear to, looking at his cup of coffee as he sat alone. His scent was a bit stranger than the other four. More spicy and rich, almost like he had grown up in a much different place than they had. She chanced a step forward, placing her feet along the grass.

The man gasped and glanced up, his phone toppling onto the table as he looked around. Sia knew he wouldn't be able to see her unless she stepped into the light, so she stayed hidden in the shadows of the crepe myrtles and Japanese maples.

"Who's there?" He asked, hands balled into fists as he began to walk towards the stairs. "I know you're out there, I can hear you moving." He glanced up at the windows, brows furrowed, and then descended the stairs.

Sia noted that his voice was quiet, as if he was trying not to wake anybody, even though it was loud enough to be authoritative. She contemplated showing herself, but she narrowed her eyes and stayed hidden. In the moonlight she could make out who it was from earlier, the man who didn't know what she was. She wondered if he must be stupid, since he was obviously of a magical lineage.

"Don't make me call the others." He said, and stepped onto the garden path. At this rate, he seemed to be getting angry.

She was the only one who was going to make demands tonight, and she growled and she finally stepped out onto the moonlight. The foliage covered her enough, but she allowed her face and eyes to be shown.

The man was still once he saw her, and she lifted her chin slightly. "Don't boss me around. I told you before, this is my territory."

Silence came from the man, as if he was weighing the option of outrunning her or fighting.

"You can calm down. I came to talk." She said boredly, rolling her eyes. "I need answers. You've told my friends, and now I want to hear them."

"What, they like to leave you out of things?" The man quipped quickly, challenge in his eyes.

Sia growled lowly, and her eyes went gold. "Don't try me. I don't have any problem killing you and leaving you in the reserve for the gators. Now, who are you and why are you here?"

The man seemed to consider this for a moment before shoving his hands into his pockets and motioning deeper into the trees. Sia waited until he passed on the path before following him under the cover of the trees. She liked the seclusion better anyways, easier for her to phase and escape should she need to.

"We're the Sons of Ipswich," the man began, his chest seemingly to swell as if it meant something grand. Sia just rolled her eyes. "descended from the witches of Salem, only one from each family. Caleb, the oldest of his clan, had a vision of a Darkling – kind of like a physical manifestation of a bad omen - telling us that if we didn't come here to Walden County, then it would eventually find us and destroy us in Ipswich." He shrugged and sighed. "So we packed up and came here to confront it."

"Touching." Sia said, examining her fingernails. She'd paid attention, but she had to keep the upper hand in this conversation. "Well, the darkness seems to be drawn to the Willows and I. It made me what I am now." She sighed. "I hope you know what you're in for." With that, she stopped along the path.

"Wow aren't you a ball of sunshi - " The man said, finally turning to look at her. "Holy shit."

Sia furrowed her brows. "What?"

"Have you been naked this whole time? We're in view of the house!" the man covered his eyes with one hand and turned around. "Oh my Gods, did Reid put you up to this?"

"Who?" Sia asked, folding her arms over her chest. "No one tells me what to do. Besides, I can hear Miss Nancy sleeping, she's not going to catch me here." She sighed. "It's almost dawn. Dinner is at the farm at 7. Y'all better be there or Miss Katherine will hex you."

"What?" the man tasked as Sia walked around him, his blue eyes confused and his hair a bit disheveled now. "How do I know you guys won't just hex us anyways?"

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend." Sia said with a flick of her wrist as she walked deeper into the trees from where the path ended at a bubbling fountain.

The man watched her for a moment, before calling out. "Wait! What's your name?"

Sia stopped, tilting her head and thinking for a moment. "Sienna Townsend." She turned around to look at him and smiled devilishly, her eyes gold. "Your friends are awake."

Sia relished in the shock on his face as she phased and loped away, leaping the garden fence and making her way back home. Clari and Aunt Katherine would be proud, she hadn't killed anyone.

* * *

Chase was shocked. The werewolf who had just tried to kill him had just had a civil conversation with him. And she was naked. What in the world was happening. His heart was pounding, and even though he hoped she was wrong as she leaped the back fence, he had the sinking feeling that their conversation had woken someone up, despite moving away from the house.

He groaned and turned back, almost running into the fountain. He grumbled and kicked the tan gravel as he began back down the garden path. The veranda came into view as he neared it and he gave a sigh of relief as he saw that it was empty aside from his now-cold cup of coffee. He supposed he'd better get some sleep as he began to climb up the stairs, especially if there was going to be talk of hexes later in the evening.

"Woo, go Chase!" Chase stopped cold, the blood draining from his limbs. The voice came from above, followed by another that he unfortunately recognized. It could only be Tyler and Reid.

"Garden walks with a naked chick!"

"You sly dog!"

"What's her name, Casanova?"

The chorus made him sigh as he picked up his coffee cup and felt his face flush. "Funny." He said and they chuckled. He was thankful that Miss Nancy's room was actually at the front bedroom of the house and not in the back, otherwise she surely would have heard them. That didn't stop him from speaking a little softer, though. "She says dinner is at 7, and that we should show."

The chorus of laughs got even louder and Chase sighed loudly. "It wasn't even like that!" He said. A deeper laugh filled in and Chase felt his lip curl.

"Sure it wasn't." Pogue said, and chuckled.

Chase pursed his lips. "Then we'd better make an appearance." Caleb's voice said from above, and Chase licked his lips and rolled his eyes. "Get some sleep everyone. We – I mean, Chase – has a date tonight."

Chase rolled his eyes and went back into the bed and breakfast as the chorus of laughs continued from above.

* * *

Seven PM rolled around quickly, and Sia had lounged around the rest of the day after tending to the garden. Miss Katherine was nice enough, after the verbal lashing she'd received for being phased in town. Someone could have seen, what if she got possessed, what if this, what if that. Sia had heard it all before.

She was, however, pleased that they'd been invited to dinner. After a brief midday meeting once Clari woke up, they all decided that it would be a good idea to keep a close eye on the men from out of town. They could be up to something, and that smell hadn't come from nowhere, of that Miss Katherine had agreed with.

At least dinner would be good. They were finally eating that ham that'd been curing in the smokehouse. A barter with the crazy pig farmer twelve miles down the road, in exchange for a heifer and a spell to save his best hog. That old swamp rat was smart, he knew about the tales of swamp witches and heeded them. In return, he was watched over when he went out hunting. This was a common occurrence anyways, in the swamp everyone was superstitious. Sia had been too, but fat luck that had gotten her seven years ago.

At the stroke of seven, there came a knock on the door. The three women were quiet as they all looked at each other, looking around the kitchen at the protective runes and plants that had been set up incase things turned sour. Slowly, Miss Katherine nodded, and opened the front door with a flick of her hand.

The men on the other side swooped in as if it was nothing, shutting the door behind them in silence. You could cut the tension with a knife, it seemed, and Sia narrowed her eyes as the men came in and stood awkwardly in the doorway to the kitchen.

Miss Katherine was the first to speak. "Well, I've decided that we'll have to work together." She motioned to the table. "This is the beginning of an agreement. We will work together to stop whatever Darkness is trying to take over this little town. If anything, we won't get in each other's way, ya hear?"

To Sia's surprise, none of the men snickered. The one with dark eyes nodded, and Sia guessed that this must be Caleb.

"How do we know we can trust you?" The man with longer, shoulder length hair said. Sia narrowed her eyes and opened her mouth to speak, but Miss Katherine cut her off.

"You have the word of a swamp witch. That's all you need." She continued to dry the dishes, then, and set the last pot down. "Now, we didn't cook a ham for nothing. Eat."

Sia needed no more convincing, she went ahead and dug in. The spread was lovely, a honey and pineapple ham, mashed potatoes and green beans, cornbread, and for dessert, a pecan pie. Clari and Miss Katherine were next, and when everyone had a plate, they all had a quiet dinner, assessing one another. The werewolf and swamp witches, and the Sons of Ipswich. The silence at the table was deafening.

The two groups only conversed with each other, and Sia liked it that way. She could figure out their group dynamic just by their scents and courtesies of each other. Caleb was obviously the alpha, and Pogue most certainly his beta. Reid, a blond haired fireball, and Tyler, a wise-beyond his years pup, pretty much had the positions of gamma mapped out for either. That left Sia's acquaintance from earlier, Chase. She'd been able to hear his name after she loped around the bed and breakfast. He was at the lowest rung of the totem pole, and he knew it. Pogue or Caleb flanked him at all times, as if he was dangerous. It could also have been they were just waiting for a chance to pummel him, though. Reid and Tyler were much more welcoming of the fifth.

They were all strange, and their relationship troubled Sia. She didn't like it. And she didn't like them.

* * *

After dinner Clari and Sia went to the back porch with a cup of tea to relax. The men were inside, and Miss Katherine had cleared the table, of course. The men watched as the kitchen had cleaned itself, the food magically put away in a quick and efficient manner that only magic could provide. They seemed strangely in awe of such a display, even though Clari had seen it all of her life. The girls had excused themselves silently, and the tea was a welcome reprieve against the strangeness that had been inside.

"It's weird having visitors." Sia remarked quietly.

Clari nodded, sipping her tea. "Especially ones like us." The men brought a strange feeling to the Willows Farm, and she wasn't sure if she liked it or not. Her light brown hair lifted slightly with a breeze, and she watched as the chickens pecked by the outside of the garden fence, arguing with the ducks on the other side.

Sia nodded in response, sipping from her own cup. "That Caleb dude is intense. You were right, he seems to be the leader. Pogue is his right hand, and Reid and Tyler almost share a position. But Chase is the omega." She tilted her head. "He's the one I spoke to earlier. He's sassy, I see why there's tension between them."

Clari nodded. "So he's the one you spoke with? Weird. Other than when he was screaming I don't think I've ever heard him speak."

"He's an omega. They don't speak to high ups unless they're spoken to. Anyways, I don't like any of them." Sia said, and sipped her tea with bored eyes.

"You never like anything new." Clari laughed and sat on the porch swing.

"That's not true," Sia chuckled and finished her tea, watching as the bats came out and the sun went down. "Either way, I don't like being told to back down when other people are in my territory."

"I know. But this time, it's for the best. We could end up really needing them, Sia."

"Yeah, like a hole in the head." The werewolf said through a growl.

Clari watched as Sia sighed and hung her head, eyes glinting gold. The werewolf was quiet, and Clari chewed her cheek.

"You still have your territory, this time you just have a few more allies on it." She said quietly, holding her cup of tea and finding comfort in its warmth. "Besides, why would we have had a vision about them if they weren't needed?"

Clari waited, but Sia was quiet. She didn't understand the turmoil that might come with having a designated territory. She wasn't able to understand her friend's instincts or wild bloodlust that hit at odd times. But that didn't mean she couldn't try.

"Come on," Clari said and smiled, setting her tea cup down. "Let's go on a run!"

At the prospect, Clari watched Sia's head pop up, and saw the devious, wild smile crawl over her friend's lips. Within a moment, they were off the porch and whooping into the night. Clari felt as wild and free as the birds as they ran through the night-empty pasture. Sia phased, and howled into the night as they played, before Clari leaped onto her back, grabbing a handful of fur, and they took off into the night to cause trouble.

They might not be able to do this for a while, so why not have a little fun while they still had the chance?


	7. Understanding, or Lack There-of

**AN:** So I've been away for an entire year. I would like to apologize for this absence, as I was battling a very troubling sickness and was not able to focus on the combination of work, school, and my writing, so one had to be put on hiatus for a short time.

However, I have returned with more sassiness from Sia and Clari! Hopefully the Ipswich boys can handle it, because things are about to start heating up, and it might not be a good thing. ;)

If you have any questions about the story, or any predictions on future happenings, feel free to drop me a PM or a review! I am also always open to critique, as I'm hoping that this helps expand my writing skillset.

Keep Calm and Read On, lovelies. 3

* * *

It was weird being around others like them. Even with seven years with Chase, it was strange. Caleb watched at the blatant use of Power, needlessly cleaning the kitchen, opening doors, mundane stuff that they just didn't use for. His brows were knitted together, and he was reclined on a chair in the sunroom behind the dining room, watching the two girls through a window to the back porch. The others from Ipswich were talking amongst themselves, and Miss Katherine had disappeared to who knows where.

Caleb watched as the girls seemed to argue at first, the werewolf obviously the more outwardly aggressive of the two. The conversation had gone on for just a few moments before the wolf smiled, and took off out of view. Caleb jumped up, causing the room to go immediately silent as he all but ran to the back door and threw it open as quickly as possible.

His heart was racing, the werewolf had surely gotten angry enough to cause the witch harm, and he had to stop it. He had to make sure that another of his kind didn't fall victim to another's harassment. He prepared to yell for the others, but as he opened his mouth, his words never came out.

In just those two moments it took him to get out of the house and onto the porch, the girls had made it out of the back garden and into the pasture beyond, yelling and whooping like teenagers at a Spring Equinox celebration. The girls were dancing it seemed as they ran, and in one movement, the werewolf emerged and the witch leaped onto her back before they both howled to the wind, and took off over the ridge into the forest below.

Caleb just stood there, mouth agape, eyes squinted in confusion.

"They are two halves of a soul."

The voice jolted Caleb out of his thoughts and he turned, finding Miss Katherine behind him.

"The ritual for returning a werewolf's soul is very dangerous, and comes at an incredibly high price." She began, leaning against the railing of the porch and picking up the tea cups.

Caleb waited for a moment. He knew that Miss Katherine was aware that this was new, valuable knowledge to him. He wasn't sure what sort of information she would ask for in return, however, but he continued with the conversation anyways. "What sort of price are we talking?"

Instead of giving him a direct answer, she did what most sages do; tell a story. "Once the curse is set, it takes two months to take effect. The first month, the symptoms begin. Veracious hunger, increased strength and heightened senses, as well as the development of wolf-like behavior." Katherine took a seat on the porch swing and rocked back and forth, looking out at the pasture.

"That first full moon is violent. It's the first turn, and there are typically many lives lost that night." She looked down, her light green eyes narrowing. "We found Sia the next morning in the barn, covered in blood. She'd eaten a few of my cattle, and that's when we knew that our fears were true, that she'd been cursed."

Caleb chewed his lip as he listened, occasionally glancing back to the pasture, the ridge almost invisible in the darkening night.

"The ritual was harder to perform, though. Sienna became very ill. She had sequestered herself away in her family's cabin outside of Kisatchie Park, and had refused to come out, even for Clari. However, we couldn't give up. In order to perform the spell you need the blood of twelve virgins, the bones of five prized chickens, the hearts of a pair of lovers, the brain of a man who had been dead for over a month, and the organs of a gator who had carried young in its mouth."

Caleb was growing increasingly more confused. This sounded barbaric, nothing like the types of spells that he was used to learning about. Even as head of his bloodline, he'd never heard inklings of a spell with so much death involved.

Katherine must have known, for she glanced up and raised an eyebrow before explaining. "The blood of twelve virgins is for purity of the soul, the bones are to bind the spell and anchor it to the Circle, the hearts are to return goodness and innocence to the wolf's life, the brain is to return rational thinking and memories, and the organs are to hide the sedatives and mask the magic until it's time for it to be released." She explained, as if it was common knowledge, but Caleb knew that she was just humoring him.

"The supplies were gathered over the second month, and the virgins were held in our barn, under heavy spells to stay quiet. They never felt pain," she added quickly, glancing as he came to sit beside her. "It features a double Circle casting, one larger one drawn with salt, within that one is housed the virgins and some of the bait, and a second smaller one, which inside is held the Witch who is casting."

Caleb didn't say anything as he was held by the story, his mind almost seeing the events taking place.

"The organs, bones, hearts, and brain are fed to each virgin, and each victim is feasted on by the wolf. Then, the Witch makes a cut on her palm, and the smell of powerful blood lures the beast into the last circle. Once there, the circle is closed, and the beast rendered immobile, and the two exchange blood to complete the spell. The witch allows the wolf to borrow half of her soul, and in turn, they are eternally linked."

Caleb looked forward, broken from the story now. It had come full circle, and he looked up at the moths buzzing around the porch light as he thought. Eternally linked was a dangerous thing, no wonder he hadn't heard of it before.

"Our Power is very different from this type of magic." He said slowly, looking back at the older woman. "Ours draws on our life force, the type of magic this spell would have to use would be – "

"The force of death." Katherine nodded, and got up from her seat, dusting off her skirt as she gathered the tea cups once more.

"So where would your magic come from?" Caleb asked, looking sidelong at the witch.

"The earth. I get my power from the Earth. She is a great giver." She looked out into the field. "Clari and Sia though, their magic is a twisted form. Sia would have practiced death magic, which is more primal and dark, and Clari would have also been of the Earth. However, now that they've been bonded, it's almost like they've turned their magic into this forest of both, where they venture at will."

To Caleb, that sounded horrifying, to not quite be able to know if a spell would work simply because he was linked to another life entirely. He didn't like the thought, and his face must have shown it, because Katherine laughed.

"You don't need to be afraid for them. Power and Magic were meant to branch and ramble and vine off into these paths. The magic is natural, no matter the source or the intent, for our kind. Even the most unfortunate curses are natural to us." With that, Katherine disappeared inside the house, as silent as the night, taking the dirty dishes with her.

Pogue came out soon after, sighing. "I'm not sure what to think about this place." He said evenly and clearly. Caleb half smiled at his best friend. No fronts, never any doubt, Pogue always spoke his mind.

"Yeah, it's weird here." Caleb agreed, looking back out into the night. The air was cool on is skin, but a different coolness than the nights he was used to. This air was thicker, almost like water, the humidity seemed to drown him as he wracked his brain. If there were already witches here, then why had they been called here? Clearly the powerful witch, her protégé and the wolf seemed to have things under control, almost like there was no reason to be afraid of anything else happening. It was strange to him.

"Think there's something deeper going on?" Pogue asked.

"I'm not sure," Caleb confessed. "They're not acting like they're covering anything up, they're just, like, existing. On this farm, in this town, like we did but much less conspicuously." He chewed his lip, brows furrowed.

Pogue nodded. "Whatever it is, it's confusing the hell out of me. I don't like being in the dark, and I know you don't either."

Caleb couldn't deny that he hated being left out, especially when a darkling had come to visit him and insisted that he come here at all. He sighed and stood fully. "Let's get back inside, in any case if we don't get some sleep we won't be able to scout out the town tomorrow. There's no point in exhausting ourselves when we don't know what we'll find."

Pogue nodded and they filed inside, leaving the house quietly. As they left, they heard a whisper on the wind of Katherine saying good bye, and a shiver went down five different spines.

* * *

A night run was just what was in order for Sia. The humid night air tugged at her fur, making her push through the forest as fast as possible. Her tongue lolled out of her mouth as she breathed, leaping over the pencil thin line of a creek that went to a nearby river, and under a fallen tree, adjusting her footing to keep Clari upright.

It was exhilarating to be running again, and Sia slid to a stop in a clearing to look at the sky. _I'm tired of this,_ she thought, as Clari slid down and began walking around the clearing looking for night herbs.

 _"My runes should have caught whatever it was that invaded it, and I don't think it was those warlocks."_ Sia laid down in the grass, her voice coming through to Clari's mind clearly. The feeling of mind-speak felt like a colorful string attached between them, a string that could change color and vibrate with emotions and words, and one that could curl in on itself in order to transfer images. It was honestly still amazing after seven year, and Sia flicked her ear at such a strange thought.

"Yeah, that doesn't make any sense to me, either." Clari said thoughtfully, reaching down to pluck at a weed. It seemed to Sia that the witch wasn't finding the herbs she wanted. "But if it wasn't them, then who could it be?"

Sia flicked her tail, thumping the ground in agitation. That, she didn't know of, and she let her irritation flow through the strand to Clari's mind. With a great sigh, she looked p and surveyed the clouds. One of Sia's gifts was the ability to find signs in nature, particularly that of her territory, but nature's voice had strangely been very silent. Bats swerved through the air and a cricket chirped nearby, but other than that, the earth was not willing to tell her its secrets.

Clari looked for herbs silently, and eventually gave up before reclining against Sia's side.

"I'm sure we'll find out, my girl. The forest has a way of letting us know what's going on." The witch said.

Sia nodded her large head and stretched. It was time to go home, if they ever wanted to sleep. She leaned down so Clari could jump on, and she began the calm lope back to the farm.


End file.
